LONDON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur's official captain this season will be Micky van de Ven, with manager Roberto de Zerbi on Friday naming the Netherlands international at the head of a five-man leadership group including World Cup-winner Pedro Porro.
Both players, however, will miss Spurs' opening Premier League game at Brentford on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Van de Ven takes over the armband from Argentine Cristian Romero who joined Atletico Madrid this month.
"The new captain is Micky van de Ven. The second Pedro Porro, the third Ben Davies, the fourth James Maddison and the fifth Archie Gray," Italian De Zerbi explained.
"Why five captains? Just because I want many captains inside of the pitch and to be clear in the position.
"Every one of them deserves to be captain or in the group of the captains, but personality and passion is not if you are captain or not captain."
Italian De Zerbi arrived near the end of last season with seven games left and the club heading for relegation for the first time since 1977. He instilled some much-needed spirit and completed his survival mission on the final day of the campaign.
After a big-money close-season spending spree on the likes of Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke, hopes are high that he can get Tottenham challenging at the other end of the table after successive 17th-placed finishes.
Two of his key men will be missing for the trip to Brentford with Van de Ven injured and Porro only just back in training after the right back helped Spain lift the World Cup.
"Micky is not on the list tomorrow like Pedro," De Zerbi told reporters.
"Today (Van de Ven) worked with us, with the group and he is going very well. He suffered a problem during the pre-season of Australia, I don't know if it was the flight, but not a big problem.
"We have (Marcos) Senesi, we have Ben Davies and in the right condition to play the game tomorrow."
De Zerbi would not be drawn on the reported imminent arrival of Brazilian winger Savinho from Manchester City but said he was happy with the club's close-season transfers.
"We have not finished in the transfer market. It's an important part. So far we have brought in some great players, great spirit and great personality," he said.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)
