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Tottenham are facing further injury woes after Jan Paul van Hecke was forced to leave Netherlands training early on Wednesday, subsequently withdrawing from the squad.

The central defender joined Spurs from Brighton in a £52million deal this summer and has been a mainstay in the back line for Roberto De Zerbi.

He appears to be the latest victim of this international break, though. The Netherlands held an open training session in Zeist ahead of their match against Greece and footage shows Van Hecke participating in the early stages of the session before having a conversation with head coach Xavi and taking a seat in the dugout.

Reports in the Dutch media say he lasted just seven minutes and it has since been revealed he has returned to Tottenham for further treatment, meaning he will miss the Nations League clash against Greece on Thursday and then the return meeting with Serbia four days later.

“The defender got injured during the away game against Serbia and will return to Tottenham Hotspur. Get well soon, JP!”

Van Hecke had started next to Virgil van Dijk in the centre of defence in both the Netherlands’ matches so far in this international break, a draw with Germany and defeat of Serbia. He completed 90 minutes in both matches.

After five games played, Spurs sit bottom of the Premier League table and without a win. Three defeats and two draws has seen data experts Opta already predict Spurs to suffer relegation this season, after narrowly avoiding the drop on the final day of the previous campaign.

A summer of heavy spending by Spurs looked to address this alarming side, and was headlined by the club-record-smashing £100million signing of Tonali from Newcastle. The Italian’s performances have underwhelmed since his arrival, along with many of his team-mates.

Asked for his assessment on Spurs’ season so far, Tonali told reporters: "Football is very strange; in 10 days, everything can change from negative to positive.

"We're having fun and creating chances. If you don't score in football, you lose. We're not in the doldrums; we're alive and well, and we're positive.

"We know the team is very strong. Here in the national team, it's different; it's a very new and young group; we've practically never played together. We just have to wait."

Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi is understood to have been the driving force behind Tonali’s arrival, and remains a stern backer of his fellow countryman.

"He’s a good guy, he’s working very hard and I’m happy to have Sandro,” De Zerbi said recently. “We are lucky to have Sandro with us.

"The adaptation has not been so fast but it can happen, also in Milan in the first season, ok he was younger, but it is not so easy to change city, to change everything for the players. Sometimes the adaptation is immediate, sometimes you need more time."

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Spurs have been handed positive updates over two stars

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Tottenham will be buoyed by the latest updates over two star players amid their miserable run of form.

Roberto De Zerbi’s remain winless in the league, and are mired in the relegation zone, where they will stay for the entirety of the three-week international break.

Pedro Porro was forced off during the defeat to Aston Villa, but the prognosis is not as bad as some feared, while the clock is ticking down on Dejan Kulusevski’s long, long, long-awaited return.

Here is all the latest Tottenham injury news and return dates going into the international break.

Pedro Porro

The right-back was forced off in the first half against Aston Villa, having returned to the starting lineup after a “small muscular problem”.

The Spaniard was afforded additional time off following his country’s World Cup triumph in North America over the summer, and that has meant that he has only started three games for his club since his return.

“I said after the World Cup, I said the management of Pedro should be different,” De Zerbi said afterwards.

“Because after the World Cup, [there are] many games. I don't know what the problem is. It's a hamstring, I think. Hopefully, it's not a big problem.”

The Athletic report that Spurs expect Porro to be sidelined for around a month with a hamstring injury, meaning he will miss the trip to Manchester United and, most likely, the visit of Coventry after the international break. Facing Chelsea is the aim.

Potential return date: Saturday October 24 vs Chelsea (A)

Major blow: Pedro Porro

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Dejan Kulusevski

The midfield star has now been sidelined for more than 500 days with a serious kneecap injury, but a return could be imminent.

Kulusevski recently returned to training with his team-mates, but a return to Sweden duty was put on another hold. International manager Graham Potter said last week: "He is taking it step by step.

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“First he has to be involved with Tottenham, and they are the ones who ultimately decide. They see him every day and can best make the decision. When he is not involved there it is difficult for us to take him out - even if we want to."

The Sun report that there is genuine hope that Kulusevski will be named in a Spurs matchday squad soon after the international break.

The player reportedly believes he could even join the trip to Old Trafford on October 10, though it remains to be seen for Spurs’ medical team decide.

Potential return date: Unknown

Long-term absentee: Dejan Kulusevski

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Mykhailo Mudryk

Loan star Mudryk completed his return from a doping ban when he featured for his loan club against Nottingham Forest, making his first appearance competitively since November 2024.

The Chelsea forward, who will spend the season at Spurs, then suffered an ankle injury in training which annoyed De Zerbi, who called the issue “stupid”.

He is thought to be out for around six to eight weeks, which signals a return in either October or November.

Potential return date: Saturday, October 31, vs Crystal Palace (H)

Still sidelined: Xavi Simons

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Xavi Simons

Simons remains on the treatment table following his ACL injury at Wolves last season.

The Dutchman suffered what is commonly known as ‘the worst injury in football’ at Molineux last term, and he is still expected to be out until well until 2027.

Potential return date: March 2027

Wilson Odobert

Young winger Odobert suffered the same fate as Simons in February this year, doing the damage against Newcastle.

He was expected to sit out of action for nine months or so, which points towards a potential return in December or the New Year

Potential return date: January 2027

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Spurs ace Dejan Kulusevski facing driving ban after being caught speeding in London

Met Police said the Premier League player has at least 12 penalty points on his licence, putting him at risk of a six-month driving ban

Tottenham Hotspur's Swedish midfielder Dejan Kulusevski could face a driving ban

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Tottenham ace Dejan Kulusevski could soon be about to get his football career motoring once again — but his time behind the wheel might be postponed.

The winger missed the whole of last season and the 2026 World Cup with a right kneecap injury. He finally resumed training recently after a freak incident in May 2025 — that at the time then-Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou said looked like “just a knock” — left him long-term on the sidelines.

But before he can get back on the pitch, Kulusevski faces a possible driving ban after being caught speeding in east London.

The 26-year-old Swedish international has been prosecuted by the Metropolitan Police after being clocked speeding in his Audi through the Limehouse Link tunnel last September.

Dejan Kulusevski has been out injured since May 2025

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The Premier League star is due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Monday.

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Kulusevski pleaded guilty to the speeding offence in August, after a camera clocked him at 43mph in a 30mph limit at 3.39pm on September 28.

The Met said, in written submissions to the court, that Kulusevski would now have at least 12 penalty points on his licence, putting him at risk of a six-month driving ban.

But the footballer, who has scored 25 goals for Spurs since joining in 2022, has pleaded with magistrates to allow him to keep his licence.

In an email to the court, the father of one said family duties and late night finishes meant he needed to be able to continue to drive.

The former Juventus player wrote: “I would ask that when you are considering my case you take the following mitigating circumstances into consideration as an appeal.

“My young family need me to drive them to various appointments and in case there are necessities to go to a hospital with them I have to be on hand.

“I also drive to work and back where the hours can be antisocial eg. I return from an away game very late at night.”

The midfielder argued that his speeding offences “were mostly just over the varying speed limits in London areas” before adding: “However, I understand I was over the speed limit.”

Motorists who reach 12 penalty points on their licence can appeal to a magistrate to be spared a six-month ban.

However, they must prove a disqualification would cause “exceptional hardship” if imposed.

Spurs narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League last season without Kulusevski to call upon, needing a 1-0 victory in their final game against Everton to clinch survival.

Kulusevski returned to full training last week, but did not join Spurs’ home game against Aston Villa on Saturday, which Tottenham lost 2-3.

The playmaker was not called up by his international manager Graham Potter, who previously said that he had hoped to include him for the nation’s upcoming four fixtures.

"He [Kulusevski] is taking it step by step,” Potter said when explaining his decision.

“First he has to be involved with Tottenham, and they are the ones who ultimately decide. They see him every day and can best make the decision. When he is not involved there it is difficult for us to take him out — even if we want to."

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Tottenham were handed their latest blow to an already terrible start to their Premier League season in the 3-2 defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday.

Roberto De Zerbi’s remain winless in the league, and are mired in the relegation zone, where they will stay for the entirety of the three-week international break.

They will now be missing another key man for an extended period after he was forced off early against Villa, while they remain without several stars as their attack continues to falter.

The right-back had been out with a “small muscular problem”, according to De Zerbi, which meant that he sat out to the draw with Everton and the defeat at Liverpool last time out.

The Spaniard was afforded additional time off following his country’s World Cup triumph in North America over the summer, and that has meant that he has only started three games for his club since his return.

He made his comeback from that minor injury against Villa, but was forced off on the quarter-hour with another knock, and he was replaced by Archie Gray.

“I said after the World Cup, I said the management of Pedro should be different,” De Zerbi said afterwards.

“Because after the World Cup, [there are] many games. I don't know what the problem is. It's a hamstring, I think. Hopefully, it's not a big problem.”

It remains to be seen how long the defender will be out for, but it is another huge blow for Spurs in what is already proving to be a difficult campaign.

He has recently returned to training with his team-mates, but he remains out of action for the time being.

The playmaker was not present in training ahead of the Everton fixture, and he was not called up by his international manager Graham Potter, who previously said that he had hoped to include him for the upcoming window.

“First he has to be involved with Tottenham, and they are the ones who ultimately decide. They see him every day and can best make the decision. When he is not involved there it is difficult for us to take him out - even if we want to."

Loan star Mudryk completed his return from a doping ban when he featured for his loan club against Nottingham Forest, making his first appearance competitively since November 2024.

The Chelsea forward, who will spend the season at Spurs, then suffered an ankle injury in training which annoyed De Zerbi, who called the issue “stupid”.

He is thought to be out for around six to eight weeks, which signals a return in either October or November.

The Dutchman suffered what is commonly known as ‘the worst injury in football’ at Molineux last term, and he is still expected to be out until at least the turn of the year.

He was expected to sit out of action for nine months or so, which points towards a potential return in either November or December.

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