Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham’s under-fire manager, confirmed defender Micky van de Ven will play against IF Elfsborg on Thursday. Dutch international 23-year-old has been out since hamstring injury in Tottenham’s 4-3 home loss against Chelsea early in December.
“Micky is OK. We’ll want match minutes for him. “He’s had a good week, 10 days with the team,” Postecoglou told reporters Wednesday.
Van de Ven has had two lengthy hamstring injuries, but Postecoglou indicated he will immediately bring him back.
“I’m not worried—he’ll return. We’ve done everything we can “Australian said. “He’s ticked every box and been given clearance by the medical team.”
James Maddison’s calf strain will keep him out for two or three weeks, and Cristian Romero’s comeback is uncertain for Tottenham. Also missing are forward Dominic Solanke and keeper Guglielmo Vicario. Tottenham have won only once in 11 Premier League matches and are 15th, but they can finish 8th in the Europa League and reach the last 16 on Thursday.
Postecoglou’s team is sixth, and the top eight go to the knockout phase. Even a draw versus Swedish team Elfsborg might advance them.
Tottenham will play Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final second leg next week and Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round.
Tottenham’s Premier League campaign has been terrible, but Swedish midfielder Dejan Kulusevski believes Postecoglou is the appropriate guy for the job.
“Because we have had games when we showed perfect football, football that not many teams in the world can play, beautiful games like Man City away 4-0, so I think he’s the right man,” he said.
“We want to win and I want to play his football, therefore I must fight for him. I trust that football.”
