Son Heung-min will not feature in European action this week (Picture: Getty Images)
Son Heung-min is ‘sore’ after Tottenham’s win over West Ham at the weekend and will not be involved in their Europa League clash AZ on Thursday night.
The Spurs captain scored in the 4-1 win over the Hammers on Saturday but was subbed off after 70 minutes, replaced by Timo Werner.
The South Korean star returned from a hamstring injury to start the match against West Ham and is feeling the effects of a dramatic London derby.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou says he was never intending to play Son against AZ on Thursday and he will be given time to recover from soreness ahead of the weekend.
‘The one’s missing today, Sonny was a bit sore after the weekend and he was never going to be involved tomorrow anyway because he missed a bit,’ the Australian told a press conference on Wednesday.
‘We’re just leaving him out of tomorrow and see how he is from there.’
Spurs return to Premier League action when they travel across London to take on Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side have won both European outings so far this season (Picture: Getty Images)
It has been an encouraging start to their Europa League campaign for Tottenham, with wins over Qarabag and Ferenvaros in their two outings so far.
‘We’ve started the competition really well,’ said Postecoglou. ‘Whenever you play away in Europe, it’s a different challenge. We’ve exposed our younger players to European football which is a positive.
‘We weren’t in Europe last year and I thought we missed it. We’ve started the competition well but there’s still a long way to go. One step at a time for us.’
Micky van de Ven has been very impressive at the back for Spurs (Picture: Getty Images)
Tottenham star Micky van de Ven is facing a side from his homeland in AZ and Postecoglou is thrilled with how the rapid Dutch defender has settled into life in the Premier League.
‘With Micky it’s fair to say he developed late but very quickly,’ said the Spurs boss. ‘Even at Volendam there was a period when they were a bit unsure.
‘For us last year he was outstanding in his first year in the Premier League. He’s growing all the time, maturing. I think the more he plays with the national team it will give him more belief.’
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