Tottenham's injury crisis deepens as both first-choice centre-backs pick up knocks on international duty

Tottenham Hotspur’s already stretched squad has been dealt another blow after both starting centre-backs, Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke, picked up injuries during the international break, according to reports relayed by Sport Witness. The news compounds a miserable run for the club, who remain winless in the Premier League under new manager Xavi Hernandez.

Van de Ven sustained an arm injury while playing at left-back for the Netherlands, after former Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic landed awkwardly on him during the Oranje’s fixture against Serbia. The incident forced the Spurs defender off and left the Dutch side to finish the match with 10 men. Xavi described the injury as “not a major injury” after the game, a view later supported by Voetbal International, which reported the knock was “less severe” than it initially appeared.

Van Hecke, a summer signing, also withdrew from the Netherlands squad after being stepped on during the away fixture in Serbia. He missed both the draw against Greece in Thessaloniki and the return match against Serbia in Eindhoven. His injury has similarly been characterised as minor.

Both players are reported to have a chance of being fit to face Manchester United on Saturday, which will come as significant relief to Tottenham given the scale of their current absentee list. Xavi Simons is sidelined until at least the New Year with an ACL injury, while Wilson Odobert, Mykhailo Mudryk, Pedro Porro, and Dejan Kulusevski are all expected to miss the return of domestic action this weekend.

The double injury scare adds further pressure on Xavi Hernandez as he attempts to stabilise a Tottenham side yet to register a Premier League win this season. With defensive resources already thin, the fitness of Van de Ven and Van Hecke will be closely monitored in the days leading up to Saturday’s fixture.