There’s been another concerning update out of north London.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, after suffering his first league defeat of the season on Monday, is having to contend with more bad injury news.
Spurs absentees in full
The Lilywhites succumbed to a 4-1 home loss against Chelsea in the Premier League, an entertaining encounter for the neutral but one which Postecoglou may be looking to forget in a hurry. There were real positives to take from the game, as Spurs were praised for their boldness playing a high line despite being down to nine men in the second half.
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However, the match also saw numerous key players leave the field. Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie are now absent following red cards against Mauricio Pochettino’s side, but far more concerningly, both James Maddison and Micky van de Ven were forced off through injury.
Maddison sustained a knock to the ankle, according to Postecoglou after the game, while van de Ven’s problem is looking far more “significant” after he hobbled away from the grass clutching his hamstring.
“It’s too early but looking at Micky you’re thinking it’s a pretty significant one so you’d assume he’ll be out for a little while.” said Postecoglou on Maddison and van de Ven.
“Madders got a knock on the ankle and we’ll just have to assess him and see how it is.”
The duo have been absolutely pivotal to Tottenham’s early-season run of form, which saw Postecoglou make the best start of any new manager in Premier League history.
Maddison, van de Ven, Romero and Udogie join Ivan Perisic, Manor Solomon, Ryan Sessegnon, Alfie Whiteman and Ben Davies on the absentee list. Postecoglou, as per news in the last 24 hours, will now be without another player for the foreseeable.
Richarlison set for surgery
Indeed, forward Richarlison’s announced he’s set for surgery on a long-term issue with his pubic bone, with Fabrizio Romano sharing the update. The Brazil international appears set for a spell on the sidelines as a result, with Postecoglou’s injury issues now mounting at N17.
“The last few months haven’t been easy for me… I’ve had health problems,” said Richarlison on Tuesday.
“I’ve already spoken to the doctors and soon I will do surgery on my pubis. I think it’s time to rest”.
Despite criticism at points, Richarlison had been a mainstay for Spurs this season – starting seven league matches and playing in ten overall. The 26-year-old was on the bench for their match against Chelsea but didn’t feature, but it is unclear if his pubic bone issue is the reason why. Speaking after Richarlison’s match-winning goal and assist in a dramatic 2-1 win over Sheffield United in September, Postecoglou called him a “fantastic” player.
