Tottenham Hotspur have lost BOTH starting centre-backs to injury: report

Tottenham Hotspur have suffered a nightmare scenario of both Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke going off injured.

Tottenham are still winless in the Premier League – but according to reports relayed by Sport Witness, they have been given scares by the Dutch duo, who both featured heavily in new manager Xavi Hernandez’s first few fixtures as manager.

Fortunately, it appears as if both of them could be fit to face Manchester United in their next fixture, though.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke have both suffered knocks

Micky van de Ven reacts to another bad result for Tottenham — Micky van de Ven has had an injury-blighted Spurs career (Image credit: Getty Images)

Van de Ven has been playing at left-back over the international break, with Xavi preferring the Spurs man there for his recovery pace and using Teun Koopmeiners centrally in his most recent fixture.

The Oranje had to finish their fixture against Serbia with 10 men, however, when their makeshift left-back was forced off with an arm injury, when former Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic landed awkwardly on the defender.

Xavi claimed it was “not a major injury” following the game, with a report from Voetbal International later backing that up, and adding, it was “less severe” than it first appeared.

Van Hecke’s injury, meanwhile, has also been described as minor, too.

The summer signing withdrew from the squad after being stepped on away in Serbia last week – missing the draw against Greece in Thessaloniki and the return match against the Serbians in Eindhoven.

Spurs will be particularly grateful if both Dutchmen recover in time for the weekend, given the extent of their injury issues right now – which include another Netherlands star, in Xavi Simons, out until at least the New Year with an ACL injury.