Tottenham in 'almost impossible' situation after James Maddison injury | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has an 'almost impossible' task on his hands heading into a busy winter period, because of injuries to both James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, believes journalist Dean Jones.

Maddison and van de Ven both arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer, with the former joining from Leicester City for £40 million, before the latter signed from Wolfsburg for £34 million. The £74 million duo made an instant impact at the club and quickly endeared themselves to the Spurs faithful, as the north London outfit raced to the top of the Premier League table.

But that quickly came crashing down, as back-to-back defeats dented Spurs' unlikely title challenge, while also ruling out several key players through injury.

Postecoglou could've hardly asked for a more perfect start to the season. Unbeaten in their first 10 matches of the campaign, Tottenham's only hiccups in that time had come on the opening day away to Brentford and during a mid-September visit to local rivals Arsenal. Otherwise, the Lilywhites had won an impressive eight from 10 to kick the season off in style.

It had the Spurs fans dreaming of a title challenge, with Postecoglou having transformed the mood inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, following what was a dismal campaign last time around. Crisis had struck the club in the springtime, when Antonio Conte was sacked from his role as manager, before interim boss Cristian Stellini was also let go before the summer, with Ryan Mason forced to see the season out.

However, despite the good vibes that had been sweeping through the terraces in NW1, a number of high-profile injuries to key players, namely summer signings Maddison and van de Ven.

Injury assessment not looking good for £74 million Tottenham duo

The misery surrounding the injuries to Maddison and van de Ven was made even worse last week, when Postecoglou revealed that the diagnosis was worse than first thought. When asked by reporters about the duo's problems, alongside fellow Spurs star Richarlison, the former Celtic manager said:

“Van de Ven will be out for a couple of months, looking to the New Year, Maddison, it’s a lot worse than we thought. Probably into the New Year. Richarlison should be out for a month."

Worrying times for Tottenham fans, given how reliant they had been on Maddison and van de Ven in the early part of the season, with Spurs' entire system designed around getting the most out of those players. And in the aftermath of such news, there have been suggestions that Postecoglou might be forced to change his approach ahead of some important clashes for Tottenham.

Dean Jones update - Tottenham injuries

Speaking in an interview to GIVEMESPORT following last weekend's defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, journalist Dean Jones admitted that the Maddison and van de Ven injuries are a major problem for Spurs. Hinting that a shift in style might be needed ahead of their upcoming fixtures, the reliable reporter also mooted Harry Kane's absence might be felt harder during this period:

Tough spell ahead for Spurs amid injury crisis

The international break has probably come at a good time for Tottenham, because at least it means no more players can get injured during Spurs defeats. Following back-to-back losses, Postecoglou is likely welcoming some respite, but the Greek-Australian gaffer will still have fingers crossed his international players come back unharmed.

It's just as well they do too, because Spurs return from the international break with a couple of early Christmas crackers. High-flying Aston Villa are the capital club's first opponent back, before a trip to the Etihad Stadium to face reigning champions Manchester City follows after that.