The insanity of Tottenham's 4-3 win over Leeds United before the World Cup break seems like a lifetime ago, but in just under a week the Premier League will return with many Spurs players enduring mixed tournaments in Qatar.
Cristian Romero will return to Hotspur Way a world champion after his Argentina beat Hugo Lloris' France in the final on Sunday, December 18. Meanwhile, the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Son Heung-min are set to be well-rested after early exits for their respective countries.
Ben Davies and Rodrigo Bentancur did not feature beyond the group stages, but both suffered injuries in Qatar and their availability for Tottenham's return is in doubt. Bentancur was already set to miss the Boxing Day clash with Brentford through suspension, but could now miss more action with an adductor injury.
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Harry Kane and Eric Dier are expected to feature, but football.london understands that Richarlison, who had only just returned from a calf problem, could be out for five to six weeks with a hamstring injury.
World Cup final participants Lloris and Romero will likely be given extended leave, with the same set to happen to Ivan Perisic as well who reached the semi finals with Croatia. With that said football.london has taken a look at Spurs' first four opponents once domestic football returns on Boxing Day.
Brentford - Dec 26th
Antonio Conte's men will mark the return of the Premier League when they travel to the Brentford Community Stadium to face Brentford on Boxing Day at 12:30pm.
The Bees headed into the World Cup break with a monumental win against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Ivan Toney scored both goals in the 2-1 victory including a 98th minute winner.
Thomas Frank's side have played three games in preparation for their return to Premier League action, losing to Bordeaux and Celta Vigo before recently drawing with Wolfsburg.
Toney is of course the Brentford danger man, while Rico Henry is certainly a player to watch out for on the Bees' left flank.
Aston Villa - Jan 1st
Tottenham's first game of 2023 will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on New Years Day against Aston Villa in a 2pm kick-off. Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery took charge of Villa at the end of October winning his first two Premier League games against Manchester United and Brighton.
Villa have played four games while the World Cup has been taking place in Qatar, with defeats to Cardiff and Villareal sandwiching a draw with Brighton and a win against Chelsea.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez plays his club football at Villa Park and will be returning a world champion after starring in the penalty shootout final victory for his country against France.
On current form Jacob Ramsey could be the player to watch after he grabbed a goal and assist in the 3-1 win against Erik ten Hag's side before the break, while Danny Ings could be on the hunt for more goals after scoring both in the 2-1 triumph over Brighton.
Crystal Palace - Jan 4th
The fixtures don't get any easier for Antonio Conte's side as they travel to Selhurst Park just three days after facing Aston Villa to take on Crystal Palace in an 8pm kick off.
The Eagles notoriously make life difficult for Spurs when they meet in south London with Spurs not winning in any of their last four visits. Last season Palace beat Spurs 3-0 in a game that was a significant turning point in the brief reign of Nuno Espirito Santo.
Patrick Vieira's side have played four games since their defeat to Nottingham Forest before the mid-season break. Draws with Botafogo and Trabzonspor were followed by a defeat to Napoli and a win against Valladolid.
Wilfred Zaha is the main threat for Palace despite his missed penalty against Forest, while Odsonne Edouard was among the goals before the World Cup break.
Portsmouth - Jan 7th
Tottenham kick off their FA Cup campaign against League One Portsmouth on Saturday, January 7 at 12:30pm.
Antonio Conte will be hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's third round tie where Morecambe took a shock lead before the introduction of Harry Kane and Lucas Moura turned the game in Tottenham's favour.
Pompey have played throughout the World Cup and are without a league win since October 22, most recently losing 2-0 at home to MK Dons. However, victories have been secured in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy.
Dane Scarlett would be one of the players to watch out for in Danny Cowley's side, but as a player on-loan from Spurs, he will be unavailable for selection. Colby Bishop, who is Portsmouth's top scorer on 13 goals, will therefore be the attacker most-likely to cause significant problems for Spurs.
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