Micky van de Ven has started his rehabilitation as the road to recovery from a hamstring injury begins for the Spurs defender.
The centre-back limped off in the first-half of Tottenham's chaotic defeat to Chelsea as he sprinted after a ball over the top, immediately sparking fears that the injury was a serious one.
Spurs were boosted by the news that Van de Ven would not require surgery, allowing him to begin his rehab with the club's medical staff at Hotspur Way.
A video has been posted on the club's social media channels showing Van de Ven in the gym alongside some of his team-mates, undergoing a number of stretches and exercises to suggest progress is being made in his recovery.
No timeframe has been given on his return to training or first-team action, but Ange Postecoglou confirmed last week that the defender is not expected to return until next year.
Micky's rehab is underway 💪 pic.twitter.com/DOq7rjNJs7
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 14, 2023
"Micky with a hamstring injury [which] we knew was fairly significant," the Spurs boss said.
"We're looking at a couple of months [out] into the new year.
Van de Ven has been a huge hit in north London since making a £43million move from Wolfsburg in the summer, and he had played every minute of the Premier League campaign until he was forced off against Chelsea.
His absence, along with Cristian Romero's suspension, has already hurt Spurs, with Ben Davies and Eric Dier the centre-back pairing against Wolves before the international break. Tottenham lost that match in dramatic fashion, making it back-to-back losses to bring an abrupt end to what had been an unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
Spurs are also without James Maddison, who suffered an ankle injury against Chelsea and will also likely have to wait until 2024 for his return.
"Madders is a lot worse than we first thought, it was bad the next day," Postecoglou said. "Again into the New Year with him."
