Here is the Tottenham team selected by Roberto De Zerbi to face Auckland in the first game of their summer pre-season tour.
03:08, 26 Jul 2026Updated 03:10, 26 July 2026
Jamie Donley starts with Mikey Moore and Archie Gray as Tottenham host Auckland in New Zealand (Image: Courtesy of Tottenham Hotspur)
Roberto De Zerbi has named the young Tottenham team that will face Auckland on Sunday.
The Italian had to take Tottenham’s long-haul flight into account as Spurs took nearly 30 hours to fly halfway across the world for their first tour of New Zealand in more than 50 years. At his press conference on Saturday, De Zerbi hinted that he would be careful with his team’s composition due to such a rapid change after his players had made such a long journey.
“The most important thing is of course to play a serious game and not take risks with injuries because it has been a very long journey. We are at the beginning of the season. We have a lot of players who suffered too many injuries last season and we have to be serious on the pitch,” the Italian said.
Tottenham face Sydney and Chelsea on Wednesday and Saturday respectively in Australia after a shorter trip through New Zealand.
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Seventeen-year-old talent Luca Williams-Barnett starts in number 10 along with academy colleague Mikey Moore on the left and Manor Solomon, the team’s oldest player on the right, with Dane Scarlett up front.
Archie Gray is the only recognizable first-team player in the starting line-up as he pairs with Jamie Donley in midfield, while Kota Takai starts at center back alongside Malachi Hardy. Midfielders Ty Hall and Rio Kyerematen serve as defenders.
Here’s the team De Zerbi chose:
Austin, Ty Hall, Hardy, Takai, Kyrematen; Donley, Gray; Solomon, Williams-Barnett, Moore; Scarlett. Spare parts: Dubravka, Gallagher, Richarlison, Tel, Fernandez, Davies, Tyrese Hall, Russell-Denny, Melia, Young, Ajayi, Byrne, Tingey.