Muhammad Awwal AbubakarVan de Ven’s troubles began during the Carabao Cup victory over Manchester City, where he lasted just 14 minutes before having to leave the pitch.
“Micky is the main one (injury worry),” Postecoglou remarked at a press conference on Friday. “He has strained a hamstring but it is not too serious. After the international break for him.”
The manager added, “He is disappointed obviously and was looking forward to the game. Certainly not a bad one like the last one. He will work hard and the international break is an extra two weeks so hopefully he does not miss much.”
This injury marks Van de Ven’s third hamstring setback since his arrival at the club last summer.
In his absence, Radu Dragusin is expected to step in as the central defender for Sunday’s clash against Aston Villa.
Postecoglou also noted that Cristian Romero and Timo Werner are nursing knocks but might still be in contention for the weekend fixture.
“The other one was Romero and Werner but they still have a chance for the weekend,” he said. As for captain Heung-min Son, he is likely to feature if he can make it through Saturday’s training session unscathed. “Sonny trained today and if he gets through tomorrow should be okay,” Postecoglou confirmed.
Former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has weighed in on the upcoming match, predicting a narrow 2-1 victory for Tottenham. “What a Sunday we’ve got, and it starts with what should be a great game,” Redknapp stated.
He reflected on Spurs’ recent performance, noting their much-needed win over City after a lackluster display against Crystal Palace the previous week. “I thought they were really poor away at [Crystal] Palace last week, so it was important they bounced back so soon.”
Redknapp also commented on Aston Villa’s recent form, highlighting their struggle to secure victories. “Villa have now drawn three of their last four in the league and last week’s draw to Bournemouth must have been a tough one to take.
It looks like it will be a really close race for the top four this season; they can’t afford too many dropped points.”
With Tottenham’s home advantage and their tendency to create scoring opportunities, Redknapp feels optimistic yet cautious about their chances, “Spurs are a bit hit and miss on the road but at home, they tend to create and score plenty. I’m going for a 2-1 Spurs win but I’m not feeling too confident!”
Muhammad Awwal Abubakar
