What Tottenham can learn from Xavi comments as Jan Paul van Hecke dealt injury blow

Tottenham Hotspur could be set for a spell without Jan Paul van Hecke due to injury.

The centre-back departed North London for the international break with the Netherlands well over a week ago.

He was in need of a confidence building spell with the Oranje after a frustrating start with Spurs.

He started both Nations League games against Germany and Serbia, with his side securing a draw and win respectively.

Collecting three points against the latter may have been a boost, but has come at a cost to the 26-year-old.

Van Hecke was stood on during the game and now Xavi has confirmed the latest surrounding his condition.

How long could Jan Paul van Hecke be out injured?

The bizarre thing with this situation is that the ex-Brighton man actually completed a full 90 minutes in Belgrade.

He remained on the pitch until the final whistle was sounded without issue.

The Spurs man actually faced problems in the dressing room and has been unable to train properly since.

That was confirmed by Netherlands boss Xavi ahead of his side's next trip to face Greece.

He said: "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.

"He really wanted to try, but he was in a lot of pain. That is why we decided to take him off the list. He tried to participate in recovery training [on Tuesday]. He tried again today [on Wednesday], but he couldn’t touch the ball."

It is unclear what the true problem is, but it has been suggested it could be a bone bruise or hematoma.

Either of those problems could see him ruled out for three weeks, which would serve as a blow to Roberto De Zerbi and Co.

That could result in him missing the upcoming fixture against Manchester United, while the visit of Coventry City may prove to come too early if he is to be out for that long.

How big of a miss will van Hecke be for Tottenham?

There have certainly been some complaints aimed towards the summer signing for his early season performances.

With him yet to keep a clean sheet for the Lilywhites, that is hardly a surprise.

His last outing against Aston Villa saw him lose out on six duels, while he only won three.

There have still been some positives to take as his 73.2 completed passes per 90 put him in the top 12.5 per cent in the Premier League.

That is combined with his 8.6 defensive actions, including two tackles and 4.8 clearances per game.

Van Hecke will be a miss as he is clearly a favourite of De Zerbi.

The only plus is that it will give either Marcos Senesi or Tosin Adarabioyo a chance to prove themselves in N17.