Van Hecke Doubt Looms as Tottenham’s List Grows Before Old Trafford
Jan Paul van Hecke is back at Hotspur Way with a toe injury picked up on Netherlands duty, joining Porro and Mudryk on Tottenham’s list as Roberto De Zerbi sweats over his squad for the trip to Manchester United.
Published 4 Oct 2026Updated 4 Oct 20262 min read
Tottenham went into the international break bottom of the Premier League, and the pause has handed Roberto De Zerbi both a gift and a problem. Jan Paul van Hecke, the centre-back signed from Brighton in the summer, has returned to Hotspur Way with a toe injury suffered on Netherlands duty - and is now a doubt for the trip to Old Trafford on 10 October.
Van Hecke played more than 90 minutes in both of the Netherlands’ opening Nations League fixtures, the draw with Germany in Amsterdam and the 2-1 win in Serbia, but suffered the injury in that latter match without realising it. “During the match against Serbia, someone stepped on him. He didn’t realise it during the match, but afterwards it was impossible for him to play,” Netherlands coach Xavi told Dutch broadcasters NOS. “He really wanted to try, but he was in a lot of pain. That is why we decided to take him off the list.” Van Hecke missed the 2-2 draw with Greece on Thursday and will also sit out Sunday’s return against Serbia, with the extent of the injury still being assessed.
The wider list
Van Hecke joins a queue. Pedro Porro, who suffered a hamstring injury 15 minutes into the defeat by Aston Villa, is expected to be out for around a month, with the trip to Chelsea on 24 October the likeliest return date. Mykhailo Mudryk remains in recovery in London from the ankle injury suffered in training that is expected to keep him out for between four and eight weeks. On the positive side, Dejan Kulusevski continues to edge closer to a matchday squad return after more than 500 days out, training with his team-mates at Hotspur Way.
A defining stretch
The calendar does not wait. After Manchester United away on 10 October comes a home game against promoted Coventry, then the derby at Stamford Bridge. For a side yet to find any rhythm under De Zerbi, the return of even two or three of the injured group without losing van Hecke would change the look of a defence that has been rebuilt all season. De Zerbi’s press conference before Old Trafford will confirm how much of that list travels north.