Micky van de Ven returns to training to hand Spurs’ Ange Postecoglou more options

LONDON – Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven is set to return to fitness soon, handing manager Ange Postecoglou some respite after a spate of absences.

Spurs, who have been hit by injuries to key players such as James Maddison and Cristian Romero, will also be missing captain Son Heung-min (Asian Cup), Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr (Africa Cup of Nations) as they report for international duty.

But van de Ven’s potential availability after missing the last nine matches due to a hamstring injury gives Postecoglou some much-needed options, as they host Burnley in an FA Cup third-round clash on Jan 5.

“Micky has trained this week,” said Postecoglou on Jan 4. “Not sure about tomorrow’s game but he might be involved in the squad, it’s good to get him back.”

Van de Ven, 22, has been a key player since his summer move from Wolfsburg.

The Dutch international defender played 12 matches for Spurs before suffering a hamstring injury in the 4-1 league defeat by Chelsea on Nov 6.

With fellow centre-back Romero also out injured, Tottenham have been linked with a move for Serie A side Genoa’s Romanian centre-back Radu Dragusin.

Asked about the possibility of signing a centre-back in the January transfer window, Postecoglou replied: “It’s hard to say because I don’t get involved in that.

“We have some objectives and aims and we’re working towards them.”

The Australian, whose side are fifth in the Premier League, six points behind leaders Liverpool, knows how important a cup run can be, saying: “At the start of every season, every club has ambitions and dreams of winning silverware.

“More than anything else, it is an opportunity for us to try to win a competition and for a club of our stature that should be the ambition every year.”

Calling the FA Cup “a significant event”, he added: “The club has history in this, many of the greatest memories Spurs supporters have will have been in the FA Cup.”

Postecoglou will also have Dejan Kulusevski back after the Swedish winger missed their 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Dec 31 due to a one-match ban.

Meanwhile, Spanish defender Sergio Reguilon has returned to Tottenham after Manchester United ended his loan spell.

He joined United on a season-long loan in September to provide cover for the injured Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia and has made 12 appearances in all competitions for the club.

Shaw and Malacia are expected to be available soon.

The 27-year-old spent last season on loan at Atletico Madrid, having joined Spurs in 2020 on a five-year deal from Real Madrid and making 52 league appearances in his first two seasons.

Teenage striker Dane Scarlett has also returned to Tottenham from his loan spell at Championship club Ipswich Town.

With captain Son unavailable for up to a month as he chases Asian Cup glory with South Korea, Tottenham have recalled Scarlett to provide more options up front.

The 19-year-old, who made 12 appearances without scoring in the second tier, was reportedly training with the first-team squad ahead of the Burnley match.

Meanwhile, Burnley boss Vincent Kompany, whose side lost 5-2 to Tottenham in a league match in September, insisted that facing Spurs in the FA Cup third round is “the best possible draw”.

The Belgian said in his pre-match press conference: “You can have these kinds of draws in the quarter-finals, when you have done X amount of games (to get that far) and you have played against League Two clubs and League One clubs.

“It is better to have the outcome of these games early, for us.

“Game one – if you win the game, you can hope for a positive cup run and carry on. If you don’t win the game, then you move on back to the league.

“I am embracing the challenge anyway, but I am not saying it is a bad draw. It is the right draw at the right time.

“I am treating it as an important game for us to continue measuring ourselves against these teams. That is something for me that is important.”