Tottenham confirm huge injury boost as Micky van de Ven returns in fresh training footage | OneFootball

Spurs will hope to have Dutchman fit for Carabao Cup trip to Liverpool

Tottenham have confirmed that Micky van de Ven has returned to first-team training.

Cristian Romero has also been unavailable for the same period and Spurs have struggled without their key defensive duo, winning just one of the eight Premier League matches since then.

However, the club on Tuesday released footage of Van de Ven in action alongside his team-mates in training, appearing to move well as he slid in and went through some defensive drills.

Speaking after his side’s defeat to Leicester on Sunday, Ange Postecoglou provided an update on the fitness of Van de Ven and Romero.

The Spurs boss said: “There are definitely a couple getting close, Micky and Cuti, they’ll be training with the group, and even just having them training is great.

“There are another couple who are not too far off, on the horizon as well, so that will definitely help.”

While the club will want to be cautious in bringing the centre-back pair into the side, Postecoglou desperately needs first-team stars to return and bolster an incredibly stretched squad.

There is a crucial run of fixtures coming up, which are likely to define the club’s season. Spurs travel to Anfield on February 6 for the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final tie, where they will be defending a 1-0 lead.

Three days later, Postecoglou then takes his side to face Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Spurs cannot afford to lose Van de Ven and Romero again, but Postecoglou will know they are crucial to the club’s hopes of progression in the cups.