Ange Postecoglou has taken Tottenham Hotspur to new heights this season. The most impressive thing about their form this season is the fact that they have been able to play like this even with a reduced playing staff.
Cristian Romero, who has just returned to the squad, was again absent due to injury. He was sent off in the 46th minute against Everton. Another heavy blow for a team that is already stretched to its limits.
Now for some better and more positive news. Postecoglou shared an update on Tottenham star Micky Van de Ven after the player himself shared an injury update on the Darts Championship.
During a chat with Football.london, the Greek-Australian coach spoke about a number of different topics. First, he gave an update on Van de Ven and Cristian Romero, and then touched on his team selection for the next game.
Let’s hear what the Tottenham Hotspur manager had to say. (h/t Football.london)
Where did he say it? Ah, darts. I’ve said before that I won’t accept players’ opinions on their recovery process. It’s getting closer, we’ll see it sometime in January. I think not Burnley but Man United on the 14th of January.
Although Van de Ven made it clear that he is not authorised to share injury updates, he himself said that his possible return to action could be in the match against Manchester United.
Postecoglou said that nothing concrete is yet available at the moment. He said he would like to see the player in action first before making a decision. Van de Ven’s return depends entirely on his current form and comfort in training.
ROMERO OUT:
Tottenham defender Cristian Romero will miss four or five weeks with a thigh muscle injury, manager Ange Postecoglou said on Wednesday.
The Argentina international, who only returned from a three-month suspension earlier this month, was injured in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League win over Everton.
Postecoglou told reporters ahead of Tottenham’s Quarter-League match at Brighton on Thursday: “It’s not so good with Romero. He had a check-up a few days ago and he has a strain in his thigh joint. He’s probably looking at four or five weeks.
“It’s definitely disappointing to lose him. Obviously we missed him because of the suspension, but now we’ve just got him back and he’s stabilised things. Now he’ll be missing again for a while.”
However, Romero’s midfield partner Micky van de Ven should be ready to return soon after a thigh muscle injury.
“We will see him sometime in January,” Postecoglou said. “I don’t think he will play for Burnley (in the FA Cup on January 5) but for Manchester United on January 14.
“He’s not supposed to be part of the squad this week, so we’ll see how it goes with him at the end of this week. Once he starts training with the group we will start thinking about whether he will be available.”