View: Tottenham facing major setback as Ange confirms 100% fit star will miss Liverpool clash.
Ange Postecoglou confirms Micky van de Ven will miss Tottenham's clash against Liverpool on Thursday.
Tottenham received a significant boost ahead of their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Anfield on 6 February, with one key Liverpool player ruled out for the match.
However, Spurs also suffered a major blow with the absence of Micky van de Ven.
Ahead of the clash, manager Ange Postecoglou provided an update on the team’s availability, stating [via Football London, 5 February], “For availability from last week, everyone is fine. Kevin [Danso] and Mathys [Tel] are both available and have trained.”
He added, “For the rest of them, no one is available for tomorrow. With Micky and [Cristian] Romero to a certain extent, it’s about being conservative with them.
Micky got through 45 minutes but he feels he’s not ready yet for the step up to the Premier League.”
Thursday’s game against Liverpool is set to be one of the most significant of Postecoglou’s career.
Having won titles globally, securing a trophy with Tottenham would undoubtedly be his greatest managerial achievement.
This adds an extra layer of pressure for the Australian boss, as he and his players prepare for a season-defining match at Anfield.
Tottenham heads into the tie with a slender lead, but Liverpool’s history of turning around second-leg matches at Anfield means Spurs must be at their best to secure a result.
The absence of van de Ven adds to the challenge.
The 23-year-old defender missed Tottenham’s 2-0 Premier League win over Brentford on Sunday (2 February) despite recently returning from injury.
Van de Ven had made his comeback in the 3-0 UEFA Europa League victory over IF Elfsborg on 30 January, where he played the first half.
In that match, he won all his aerial duels, claimed one of two ground duels, and completed 99 percent of his passes [Sofascore].
Furthermore, he was flawless with his long balls, completing all attempts, and contributed defensively with one clearance and one tackle.
Van de Ven’s absence leaves a noticeable gap in Spurs’ defense for their crucial encounter with Liverpool, making the task even more daunting for Postecoglou and his side.
