"I'll be right back." Van der Penn, who broke his silence, 'Two words'Hamstring nightmare, 'Tottenham collapse' Postecoglou's defeat
Nov 01, 2024
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He confessed his feelings in two words on his SNS on the 1st (Korean time). 'Back soon'. Van der Penn was replaced by Destiny Udoji 14 minutes after the start of the match in the round of 16 of the Carabao Cup (League Cup) against Manchester City in 2024-2025 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on the 31st.
Starting as a left full-back, not a center back, he tackled Manchester City winger Savinho and gave him his right hamstring (back muscle of the thigh). Appealing with pain, he exited the stadium with tears in his eyes.
Coach Enze Postecoglou said after the game, "Pan der Penn felt something wrong with his hamstring. I don't have a full update on him, but I definitely felt something and I'll have to see how it goes through the scrutiny" he lamented.
However, it is regrettable. Postecoglou has been reluctant to use Van der Penn as a fullback in the past. He said last season "I had Pan the Pen in mind. But he's had a few injuries, and he has to be careful in terms of the requirements needed to take on the left fullback in our system. I have to think about the future, and the physical requirements of the left fullback are different" he once said.
However, contrary to that principle, he used it as a fullback, and eventually got sick. Van der Penn, the fastest player in the English Premier League (EPL), has a hamstring injury that is a nightmare.
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After the game, I left the stadium on crutches. Fortunately, the worst was avoided. Tottenham medical staff judged that they could recover through treatment, not surgery. But a long hiatus was inevitable. He returned to action against Manchester United two months later, on 15 January.
Hamstring injuries require rest and rehabilitation. Overdoing it can lead to even greater anger. It takes quite a long time to recover.
To make matters worse, Christian Romero, another axis of center back, is also not in normal condition. Romero was replaced by Ben Davies in the seventh minute of the second half against Manchester City.
Postecoglou said "Romero was a little tired. Considered replacing him at half-time. After losing Van Der Penn, I didn't want to lose another centre-back."He said he was fine, but there was no reason to take risks as much as Ben Davies is.", he explained.
If he leaves even one Romero, the center back will collapse again. Tottenham got off to their best start last season but failed to continue their rise as the defensive line collapsed due to Van der Penn's injury and Romero's dismissal.
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Coach Postecoglou has already predicted Son Heung-min's absence ahead of the match against Manchester City. `Son Heung-min has almost recovered, but from our perspective, the goal is to play in the weekend games. I'm sure I'll be able to play then" he said. The weekend's game is the 10th round of the EPL against Aston Villa at 11 p.m. on November 3.
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