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The latest Spurs injury news and expected return dates - including updates on Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke and Pedro Porro.

Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action this weekend with what feels like a must-win match against Manchester United – but their preparations for Saturday’s game have been hampered by a number of fresh injury issues.

First-choice centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke both picked up problems while on international duty with the Netherlands during the break, and there is a doubt about the availability of Pedro Porro after he withdrew from Spain’s squad. All told, Roberto De Zerbi could be heading into a key fixture without seven first-team players.

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With kick-off at Old Trafford fast approaching, we’ve collected all of the latest Spurs injury news below along with the stricken players’ expected return dates when available.

How long is will Van de Ven be out for?

Tottenham saw yet another key player go down with an injury when club captain Micky van de Ven was taken off late on during the Netherlands’ Nations League match against Serbia.

Luka Jović landed awkwardly on Van de Ven’s arm after a challenge, leaving the 25-year-old in obvious pain. He was taken off despite the fact that the Netherlands had already used all their substitutions, leading to fears that the issue could be serious.

Fortunately, Dutch head coach Xavi Hernández told the media that Van de Ven was “OK” after the match, adding that “he felt dizzy because he suffered [pain] in the finger, [but] it's not a big injury."

Van de Ven will be assessed ahead of the trip to Old Trafford and remains a doubt for the time being, but early indications are that he will be able to play through the pain if required. He is not likely to face an extended spell on the sidelines.

There’s less clarity concerning the availability of his national team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke. The summer signing suffered a foot injury during his country’s first game against Serbia and although he saw out the game, he was unable to train the following day and was sent back to London for further tests. The results of those tests have not yet been made public, and it is unknown how long he might be out for. He is, as such, a major doubt for the Manchester United game.

When will Pedro Porro be back?

Right-back Pedro Porro is likely to miss Saturday’s match due to the hamstring injury he sustained during the 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa immediately before the international break.

Porro withdrew from his country’s Nations League squad and has spent the last few weeks in Spain with a specialist. Initial estimates suggested a four-week timeframe for his recovery, which means that he is expected to be sidelined until the game against Coventry City on 19 October.

Winger Dejan Kulusevski, meanwhile, is inching towards a return from his long absence but after missing some time during the international break due to a minor setback it is unlikely that he’s back in the squad straight away. De Zerbi has indicated that Spurs plan to be cautious with the Swede after 17 months on the sidelines, but it is hoped that he will make his long-awaited comeback at some point over the next month.

Three players, meanwhile, will definitely miss out against Manchester United: Mykhaylo Mudryk (ankle) is expected to be absent until the end of October; winger Wilson Odobert (ACL) is targeting a late November/early December comeback; and playmaker Xavi Simons (also ACL) is expected to push for a return in February.

Leeds United could face a battle to keep hold of a key player this summer amid attention from elsewhere

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Leeds United are currently battling to preserve their Premier League status. They in 16th place in the table with seven fixtures left to play as they fight against the likes of Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham for survival - but whether they maintain their top-flight status or not, they could face another battle in the summer, this time to keep hold of a key defender.

New reports suggest that several rival sides are beginning to show interest in Pascal Struijk, a core member of defensive unit which has been key to keep the Whites’ noses above the bottom three so far. But will the Swiss centre-back move on this summer, or can Leeds keep hold of him?

Leeds defender Pascal Struijk attracting interest from Spurs, Newcastle & Aston Villa

Leeds could face a battle to keep hold of Struijk this summer regardless of what division they find themselves in. According to Sports Boom, he is on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Aston Villa. The report adds that his price tag is around the £30m mark.

Struijk, 26, is under contract with the Whites until June 2027. Therefore he still has over 12 months left to run down with his current club. They risk losing him for free next year if he doesn’t pen an extension anytime soon, however, which limits Leeds’ negotiating room if bids do come in.

The centre-back could be seen by Spurs as someone to bolster their defensive department. They are at serious risk of slipping into the second tier, however, an eventuality which would surely rule them out of the reckoning. That could give Newcastle and Aston Villa an advantage in this particular pursuit - but how likely is that Struijk departs?

Will Leeds be able to keep hold of Struijk this summer?

Staying up would significantly boost Leeds’ hopes of retaining the services of Struijk. Farke’s men are putting in some battling performances at the moment and also have hopes of reaching the final four of the FA Cup. They are struggling for goals at the top end of the pitch right now, however, and that is something that needs to improve to ensure their survival.

Struijk has been on the Whites’ books since 2018. Prior to his move to England, he had spells at ADO Den Haag and Ajax. He has since risen up through the academy ranks at Elland Road and he was a regular at various different youth levels before making the step up into their first-team.

The ex-Holland youth international, who is yet to make a senior cap, made his debut in December 2019 in a league fixture against Hull City. He hasn’t looked back since and he has made 186 appearances in all competitions, 27 of which have come this term, and he has scored 14 goals.

Much will depend on whether Leeds can persuade Struijk to resist the opportunity to take up a new challenge and sign a new contract, a necessity if they are to keep hold of him - should Struijk wish to leave, regardless of Leeds’ final table position, there will be little that the club can do but sell and make some money from a player who would otherwise leave for free in the near future. With so little leverage available, the ball is in Struijk’s court - and there is sufficient interest to turn his head.