Richarlison is not part of the Tottenham squad for Sunday afternoon’s pre-season friendly against Shakhtar Donetsk
Richarlison is absent from Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham squad for Sunday afternoon’s pre-season friendly against Shakhtar Donetsk. Making his mark on the club’s Asia-Pacific tour with a hat-trick against Lion City Sailors, football.london understands that the Brazilian is unavailable due to a knock.
The ex-Everton man is expected to be fit to face Barcelona in the team’s final pre-season friendly on Tuesday evening, though. After such a frustrating first season in north London with only three goals in all competitions coming his way, the 26-year-old will be hoping to have a big impact against the Spanish side as he bids to force his way into Postecoglou’s starting XI for next Sunday’s Premier League opener at Brentford.
Going strong in the team’s first two friendlies of the summer, the Spurs boss has once again done the same for the match at home to Shakhtar. Following plenty of speculation over his future with Bayern Munich intent on luring him to the Allianz Arena, Harry Kane captains the Lilywhites against the Ukrainian side and he is joined in attack by Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski.
New signing Guglielmo Vicario starts in goal, with Emerson Royal, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie making up the backline. In midfield, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison complete the lineup.
This afternoon’s game is Postecoglou’s first in charge of the team at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after making the move from Celtic at the beginning of July. It is an occasion he is very much looking forward to.
Speaking to SPURSPLAY on Friday, he said: “I’m looking forward to it – to the stadium, to playing in front of our supporters, and I feel the boys are, as well. It’s exciting. You’ll realise on Sunday just how close the start of the Premier League actually is and, because of that, I’m sure the boys will be up for it.”
