Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou explained why defender Micky van de Ven had missed the trip to Newcastle United
Tottenham Hotspur’s start to the 2024/25 Premier League season hasn’t been smooth sailing, to say the least.
After being held to a 1-1 draw by Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on matchweek 1, Ange Postecoglou’s side responded emphatically by smashing a listless Everton 4-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. As a result, they went into the game at Newcastle United on Sunday on a high.
However, Newcastle United condemned Tottenham to their first defeat of the new campaign, beating them 2-1 at St James’ Park. Big Ange and Spurs must have been wondering how exactly they came away from Newcastle with no points to show after dominating large portions of the game.
Before the start of the contest on Tyneside, Tottenham were handed a big injury blow. Star defender Micky van de Ven was absent from the Spurs squad to face Eddie Howe’s side on Sunday.
The Netherlands international has been a vital player for Spurs since joining the club from Wolfsburg last summer. There was naturally massive concern when he appeared to badly hurt his knee during the 4-0 win over Everton last weekend, though he managed to complete the full 90 minutes after shaking off some discomfort.
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And after our gaffer didn’t mention about Micky Van de Ven’s injury concern in his pre-match press conference, it was assumed he would be fit for Sunday’s game against Newcastle. But Van de Ven didn’t make the trip to St James’ Park, and his exclusion from the Spurs squad left the fans scared and anxious over a potentially serious injury.
However, Ange Postecoglou calmed down fears by delivering an update on the defender’s fitness with the north London derby at home, which is the next immediate fixture after the international break.
“Micky was close in training this week but with the international break he’s not quite 100 per cent,” Ange Postecoglou said about Van de Ven (h/t Football London) before the game against Newcastle.
“Part of me was keen to give Radu a run, especially at this venue, so yeah we’re going with Radu today.
“It’s nothing serious. We’ve got a heaped programme straight after the international break so we’re going to need all our back four. So, getting Radu a game today I think is a positive thing for us.”
Radu Dragusin deputised well in Van de Ven’s injury absence, partnering Cristian Romero at the heart of the north London side’s backline. Nonetheless, Van de Ven’s absence turned out to be disruptive for the Lilywhites as they were beaten by the Magpies.
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Spurs would want the Dutchman to achieve full fitness when they host bitter rivals Arsenal on September 15 after the international break. Our gaffer’s positive update on Van de Ven should have calmed down the nerves of the fans, with the centre-back expected to be fit in time for the mega north London derby.
