Tottenham Hotspur kick off their pre-season period against a K-League XI as part of the Coupang Play Series at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
The Lilywhites have already been put through their paces under Antonio Conte this summer and are gearing up for a return to the Champions League for 2022-23.
Match preview
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The Arsenal collapse at the end of the 2021-22 season was music to the ears of Tottenham fans, as the Lilywhites pipped the Gunners to Champions League qualification on the final day with a 5-0 thumping of already-relegated Norwich City.
Astute acquisitions both on and off the field helped Tottenham secure their return to the promised land of the Champions League at the expense of their bitter rivals, but for a short while, Conte was being tipped to leave North London within just a few months of taking over.
Such a catastrophic scenario did not materialise, and with new signings Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski making excellent starts to life in the capital, Spurs are well-equipped to challenge for honours under Conte next term.
The Lilywhites board have also backed the Premier League and Serie A title-winner with funds this summer, and the signings of Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster have gone down incredibly well with the Tottenham faithful.
More are expected to follow the quintet through the door before the windows slams shut, with Conte making it clear that a major rebuild was needed to give the Lilywhites the best shot at ending their trophy drought, which now stands at 14 years.
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Sevilla, Rangers and Roma are also lying in wait for Tottenham in a friendly capacity this month, and fans in South Korea have already caught a glimpse of Conte's unforgiving pre-season training sessions, with players flopping onto the stadium turf ahead of their first summer exertion.
Fans from all 12 clubs in the K-League will have something to look forward to this week, as two players from each side have been called up to Team K-League for the visit of Tottenham.
Kim Sang-Sik - who manages the reigning national champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors - has been placed in charge of the squad for Wednesday's game, and Ulsan Hyundai U-15 coach Kim Do-Kyun will aim to help his counterpart to claim a famous friendly scalp over Tottenham.
A good chunk of South Korea national team players will comprise the K-League XI this week, but there will be some international representation within the team as well, as names from revered nations such as the Netherlands and Brazil take to the field.
Team News
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Tottenham did not get the Clement Lenglet deal over the line in time for the Frenchman to obtain his visa and travel with the team to South Korea, but Richarlison, Bissouma, Forster, Perisic and Pape Sarr are all present.
Joe Rodon has also missed out due to illness, while the quartet of Sergio Reguilon, Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso have been left at home and are seemingly not in Conte's plans for the upcoming campaign.
Dejan Kulusevski was pictured leaving the field for treatment during training on Monday, but whether that was down to a fresh injury concern or simply exhaustion from Conte's training is unknown.
A strong Spurs XI could see Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris feature from the off, with Son Heung-min set to receive the loudest cheers of them all.
As for the K-League XI, South Korea regular Jo Hyeon-woo will likely feature in between the sticks, and former Barcelona youngster Lee Seung-woo is ready to strut his stuff in the engine room.
Two-time K-League Best XI member Cesinha - who plies his trade for Daegu - is set to form part of the firing line alongside Portugal's Gerso Fernandes and South Africa international Lars Veldwijk, who was once on the books at Nottingham Forest.
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Emerson, Bentancur, Bissouma, Perisic; Richarlison, Kane, Son
K-League XI possible starting lineup:
Hyeon-woo; Seung-wook, Tae-wook, Jeong-ho, Jin-su; Jin-ho, Myung-joo, Seung-woo; Cesinha, Veldwijk, Fernandes
We say: Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 K-League XI
Assuming Tottenham's players still have some energy in their legs after being worked to the limit and more by Conte, the North Londoners should make a statement of intent on Wednesday.
Plenty of new faces are ready to make their mark in Conte's squad, while some of the more long-serving and reliable members can help Spurs get the job done with minimal fuss.
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Ben Knapton
