Tottenham Hotspur have been handed another defensive concern after Micky van de Ven was forced off with a hand injury during the Netherlands’ 2-1 Nations League win over Serbia.
The Spurs captain started the match in Eindhoven but was forced off in the 90th minute after Luka Jovic accidentally stepped on his arm during a challenge inside the penalty area.
Van de Ven had his hand taped during the match before the incident, and he was clearly in discomfort when he was unable to continue. The Netherlands had already used all five substitutes, meaning they had to see out the final stages with 10 men.
What is the injury?
Tottenham confirmed that Van de Ven was forced off after appearing to suffer discomfort with his hand following the challenge with Jovic. The Dutch federation described it as a hand injury.
There has been no detailed diagnosis or indication yet of how serious the problem is, meaning it is too early to say whether Van de Ven will miss Tottenham’s next fixture against Manchester United after the international break.
Another blow for De Zerbi
The timing will concern Roberto De Zerbi, particularly after Jan Paul van Hecke was already forced to withdraw from the Netherlands squad with a foot injury during the same international break.
Van de Ven has started all four of the Netherlands’ fixtures during this international break and has been an important part of Tottenham’s defence since the beginning of the season.
Spurs will now await further assessment before knowing whether their captain is available for the trip to Manchester United.
With Van Hecke’s fitness also uncertain, De Zerbi could potentially face a significant selection headache at centre-back.
