Micky van de Ven update: Postecoglou says it will be a ‘slow build’ for the defender after recently making comeback | OneFootball

Ange Postecoglou says Micky van de Ven will be given time to recover before he plays again.

The defender made his return to action in the Europa League win over Elfsborg on January 30, playing for the first time since he picked up another hamstring injury against Chelsea on December 8.

Prior to the game against Chelsea, he had also been out for five weeks also with a hamstring problem.

Postecoglou has insisted there has not been another injury for the defender and that they are managing his return.

Speaking ahead of the Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool, in which van de Ven was absent, Postecoglou said he did not want to risk the 23-year-old: “He hasn’t re-injured the injury or anything like that. I just feel we need to get more into him, I think he feels he needs to get more into him, same with Romero, so it will just be a wait and see approach.”

He is again expected to miss the FA Cup clash with Aston Villa on Sunday and Postecoglou says it will be a “slow build” for the centre-back.

“Over the next couple of weeks we’ll get some significant players back which I think will help the playing group,” he said.

“Micky, probably like I said, it’s going to be a bit of a slow build.

“The ones who are definitely close are guys like Vicario, Destiny (Udogie), Wilson (Odobert), Madders (Maddison), Brennan (Johnson) at a stretch.

“They should all be back either next midweek in terms of training or the week after but over the next two weeks they should all be available.”

Spurs travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Sunday looking to bounce back from their 4-0 thrashing to Liverpool in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Thursday.

None of the other injured Spurs player are expected to return for the clash apart from striker Dane Scarlett.