Tottenham Hotspur have suffered another injury setback after Jan Paul van Hecke was forced to leave the Netherlands camp following a foot injury.
The 26-year-old defender, who joined Spurs from Brighton in a reported £52 million summer transfer, has been an important part of Roberto De Zerbi’s defence. He started every Premier League match for Tottenham before the international break.
Van Hecke played the full 90 minutes in the Netherlands’ 1-1 draw with Germany and their 2-1 victory over Serbia. However, the defender picked up an injury during the Serbia game after an opponent stepped on his foot.
According to Netherlands head coach Xavi Hernandez, Van Hecke did not initially realise how serious the problem was during the match. The pain became much worse afterward, leaving him unable to continue normally.
Van Hecke attempted to take part in recovery training on Tuesday and tried again the following day. However, Xavi revealed that the Spurs defender was still experiencing significant pain and was unable to even make contact with the ball.
As a result, Van Hecke was withdrawn from the Netherlands squad and sent back to North London for treatment. He will miss the Netherlands’ upcoming Nations League fixtures.
The timing is a concern for Tottenham, with the club set to return to Premier League action against Manchester United at Old Trafford on October 10.
There is currently no confirmed timeframe for Van Hecke’s return, meaning Spurs supporters will have to wait for further medical updates to discover whether the injury will keep him out after the international break.
If he is unavailable, De Zerbi could have to turn to other central-defensive options, including Marcos Senesi or Tosin Adarabioyo.
For now, Tottenham will be hoping the problem is only a painful knock and that Van Hecke can recover in time for the trip to Manchester United.
