Xavi says Tottenham Hotspur‘s Jan Paul van Hecke suffered a setback in the Netherlands’ 2-1 win over Serbia at the weekend, forcing him to withdraw from the national team.
The centre-back ended his six-year spell at Brighton & Hove Albion to join Spurs in June for around €60m. The move saw him reunite with Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham, after their time at The Amex.
De Zerbi has started him in all Spurs fixtures, and the 27-year-old has played every minute in the league. This made it easier for new Oranje manager Xavi to include him in the squad for the ongoing international break.
Van Hecke played the full 90 minutes for the national team in the two UEFA Nations League matches. He partnered alongside Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk at the heart of defence.
Injury blow for Tottenham man
On Wednesday, Sport Witness covered a report from the Dutch press explaining that the defender had to leave training. There were concerns over his involvement for the upcoming matches during this break, andhe’s since withdrawn.
Late on Wednesday, NOS interviewed Xavi to discuss Jan Paul van Hecke’s injury situation and Voetbal Primeur have relayed his comments.
The manager says the Dutchman suffered an injury after ‘someone stepped on his toe’ against Serbia. Van Hecke had been trying to push himself but hasn’t been able to do it because of the pain.
“During the match against Serbia, someone stepped on him. He didn’t realise it [someone stepping on his toe] during the match, but afterwards it was impossible for him to play,” he said.
“He really wanted to try, but he was in a lot of pain. That is why we decided to take him off the list. He tried to participate in recovery training yesterday (Tuesday). He tried again today, but he couldn’t touch the ball.”
Injury worry for De Zerbi and Tottenham
The Netherlands will face Greece later today and Serbia on October 4th. Jan Paul van Hecke will miss these two fixtures, after leaving the national team camp on Wednesday.
His setback is a big concern for Tottenham Hotspur and Roberto De Zerbi, who has used him regularly this season.
After the international break, Spurs take on Manchester United and it’s early to suggest whether the defender will recover on time.
