Jan Paul van Hecke injury blow for Tottenham ahead of Man Utd clash

Tottenham defender Jan Paul van Hecke has been forced to withdraw from the Netherlands squad after sustaining a foot injury. The 26-year-old picked up the issue during the Dutch side's 2-1 victory over Serbia on Sunday.

According to reports from De Telegraaf, the defender attempted to train on Wednesday morning but was unable to complete the session due to the pain. He will not travel with the Oranje for their upcoming fixture against Greece as he continues his recovery.

The timing of the injury is particularly worrying for Spurs, who are scheduled to face Manchester United in the Premier League on October 10. Since joining the club from Brighton over the summer, Van Hecke has been a near-constant presence in Roberto De Zerbi's starting line-up, missing only one game so far.

This fitness setback arrives at a difficult moment for the North London side, who are currently at the bottom of the Premier League table with only two points from five matches. With a challenging run of fixtures ahead, the loss of a key defensive pillar would be a significant blow to their efforts to turn around their season.