Tottenham Center-Back Crisis Deepens as Both Van de Ven, Van Hecke Ruled Out vs Man Utd
AM730 · 3 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Tottenham Hotspur are facing a defensive crisis ahead of their crucial Premier League fixture against Manchester United, with both first-choice Dutch center-backs unavailable due to injuries sustained during the international break. Micky van de Ven suffered a wrist injury during Netherlands' 2-1 Nations League win over Serbia on Monday, October 5, while Jan Paul van Hecke had already been forced to withdraw from national team duty after being stepped on during an earlier match. Tottenham, who have yet to win in five Premier League matches this season and sit bottom of the table with just two points, will now have to turn to backup defenders for their October 11 visit to Old Trafford. Both managers under pressure, with Tottenham's Ange Postecoglou and United's Michael Carrick potentially facing their final opportunity to secure three points.
Key Points
- Van de Ven sustained wrist injury during Netherlands vs Serbia Nations League match, forced off despite team having exhausted substitutes
- Van Hecke suffered stepped-on injury in earlier Nations League fixture, unable to continue training or even touch the ball
- Tottenham's only available center-back options are Marcos Senh and Destiny Udogie for the match at Old Trafford
- Both clubs under pressure: Tottenham with 5 matches yielding only 2 points; Manchester United with 5 points
- Brobbery and Daniel Ballard also injured during internationals, compounding Sunderland's squad problems