Tottenham Hotspur striker Alejo Veliz is expected to be out for a couple of months with a knee injury, manager Ange Postecoglou said on Thursday. Veliz will be one of 10 Spurs stars set to miss Friday's third-round FA Cup match.
The 20-year-old Argentine was helped off the pitch during the Premier League home win over Bournemouth on New Year's Eve. "Unfortunately, it was a fairly significant injury," said Postecoglou. "He had scans after the game and it's going to keep him out probably a couple months. Won't need surgery but some significant ligament damage, so disappointing for him because he's kind of worked hard to get an opportunity in the last couple of weeks," media reports quoted the gaffer as saying.
However, in a positive development, Postecoglou added that Dutch defender Micky van de Ven was close to returning from the hamstring injury he suffered in their 4-1 Premier League loss to Chelsea in November. "Micky has trained this week," the Australian said. "I'm not sure about Friday's game, he might be involved in the squad. It is good to get him back but obviously he has missed a fair bit so we will have to be careful with him."
Tottenham's South Korea captain Heung-Min Son and Senegal midfielder Pape Matar Sarr will be among the key players missing from Friday's FA Cup third-round tie at home to Burnley due to international duty at the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations respectively.
While fifth-placed Spurs are in the thick of the crowded Premier League title fight, six points behind leaders Liverpool, the manager insisted the Premier League does not hold more importance than the FA Cup."
