Reading vs. Tottenham lineups, team news, score prediction: Thomas Frank begins Spurs tenure

Tottenham begin a new era as Thomas Frank takes charge of his first match action when Spurs visit League One side Reading to begin their preseason build-up to the 2025/26 campaign on Saturday.

The former Brentford boss has taken over for Ange Postecoglou, who was let go despite bringing the club its first trophy since 2008 by winning the Europa League. Yet after a 17th place finish in the Premier League, the relationship became untenable and the Australian was dismissed.

In steps Frank, who will look to steady the ship from the chaos. He arrives with impeccable credentials from his superb job at Brentford.

The Sporting News runs through the latest team news and injury updates for both sides.

Reading vs. Tottenham predicted lineups, team news

Reading have seen reliable defender Amadou Mbengue depart on a free transfer to QPR, and the 22-year-old will have to be replaced. The likely option is new signing Paudie O’Connor, who has made the move from fellow League One side Lincoln City on a free.

The biggest hole in the Reading squad last season was at right-back, where the team struggled to find a consistent performer. They rotated between Kelvin Abrefa, Andy Yiadom, and even midfielder Tivonge Rushesha.

Last season’s starting goalkeeper Joel Pereira will have to fight for his place after Jack Stevens joined on a free from Cambridge United.

Reading best XI (3-4-3, right to left): Pereira (GK) — Rushesha, O’Connor, Bindon, Garcia — Knibbs, Craig, Savage — Smith, Wareham, Campbell.

Injured: None.
Suspended: None.

Tottenham dealt with significant injuries last season, and some of those have carried over into preseason. The most notable concerns are to Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, both of whom broke down towards the end of last season after being used heavily through the early portion of the injury crisis.

Radu Dragusin continues his recovery from a torn ACL and likely won’t be available for another few months. Cristian Romero is still with Spurs for now after being heavily linked to a move away, but it’s unclear if he will remain much longer and may not be risked in preseason. Heung-Min Son was the subject of some rumours as well, but he’s likely to remain in London.

Spurs will likely integrate new signing Mohammed Kudus into the squad slowly, but he could make his Spurs debut in this match. It’s also heavily reported that Morgan Gibbs-White will join the London club before the season starts.

Tottenham best XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Vicario (GK) — Porro, van de Ven, Romero, Udogie — Bentancur, Maddison, Sarr — Son, Solanke, Tel.

Injured: Kulusevski (knee), Maddison (knee), Dragusin (ACL), Gil (knee).
Suspended: None

How to watch Reading vs. Tottenham: Live stream, TV channel

Here’s how to watch this preseason match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:

Preseason schedule for Tottenham

Tottenham have a busy preseason schedule ahead of them, with significant travel involved.

Following a pair of domestic road matches against English opponents, Spurs will travel to Asia for a pair of games against Premier League clubs. They will meet North London derby opponents Arsenal in Hong Kong before a game three days later against Newcastle in South Korea.

Finally, to close out the list of friendlies, they’ll meet German giants Bayern Munich in Bavaria before returning home to begin the season with the UEFA Super Cup against PSG on August 13.