- Van de Ven out until 2024
- Maddison injury worse than feared
- Postecoglou faces selection puzzle ahead of Wolves
WHAT HAPPENED? Manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed that both players are likely to be out of action until early next year. While Spurs fans were braced for bad news regarding van de Ven, Postecoglou's update regarding Maddison comes as a significant blow, with the ankle injury sustained in Monday's chaotic defeat to Chelsea, much worse than it first appeared.
WHAT THEY SAID: "Micky [van de Ven], as we saw the other night, has a fairly significant hamstring injury," Postecoglou told reporters ahead of Spurs' trip to Wolves. "Without putting a firm timeline on it, it's at least a couple of months out for him so we're looking at the New Year with him.
"Similar with Madders. He got quite a significant ankle injury the other night and was sent for scans. That wasn't great, so he'll be out for a period of time, probably into the New Year for him as well."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The avuncular Australian also confirmed that striker Richarlison had undergone surgery to remedy a long-standing groin issue and is likely to be unavailable for the next month. Along with the suspensions of Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero, Postecoglou faces some serious selection dilemmas ahead of the weekend, particularly in defence where three of this season's mainstays were lost in one truly bizarre night.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM? All eyes will be on the team-sheet as Postecoglou tries to figure out his side to face Wolves at Molineux on Saturday in the opening fixture of the Premier League weekend.