Van de Ven responds to Maddison’s message about playing in Tottenham v Man United clash
James Maddison and Micky van de Ven have both experienced several setbacks at Tottenham Hotspur this season.
Ange Postecoglou‘s side stand on the cusp of their first major silverware since 2008, with just 90 or 120 minutes between themselves and the Europa League title when they face Manchester United on 21 May.
Spurs’ progress to this month’s decider in Bilbao has come against a backdrop of dismal Premier League form, with the Lilywhites sat 17th in the table after 20 league defeats and a run of one win in their last 10.
Postecoglou has had to deal with several injury setbacks at Tottenham with over half of his squad absent at times, and the Australian will be without another key man ahead of the match which could define his tenure.
James Maddison shares Tottenham update after injury news
Maddison’s hamstring injury in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt was devastating one, and one which will see Tottenham’s number 10 miss the next three months of action.
That leaves Postecoglou without his second-highest scorer in all competitions this season against Man United, and the 28-year-old reflected on a campaign cut short with an Instagram post on Monday (12 May).
| Player | Appearances | Starts | Goals/Assists | 90 Mins Completed | Games Missed |
| James Maddison | 45 | 32 | 12/11 | 3 | 12 |
| Micky van de Ven | 20 | 19 | 0/2 | 12 | 37 |
Maddison’s post included 15 images of both on and off-field action in North London this season, and Van de Ven was one of several Spurs players to react as they prepare to finish the job without the playmaker.
Van de Ven has suffered multiple injuries this season including three months in the treatment room with one issue, and commented below Maddison’s post with a ‘smiling face with hearts’ emoji.
Tottenham future uncertain for James Maddison
Maddison’s three-month injury layoff is a huge blow for Postecoglou with such a significant match on the horizon, but Tottenham fans’ patience with the England midfielder finally snapped in the wake of the blow.
The Spurs number 10 isn’t likely to be fit again until the start of next season and won’t be in condition to complete a medical elsewhere either, which casts doubt over Tottenham’s ability to sell him this summer.
Plenty is in the balance after former goalkeeper Paul Robinson told Football Insider that Tottenham’s recruitment has been put on hold due to the speculation over Postecoglou’s future, and it remains to be seen if either he or Maddison will still be at Spurs next season.