Micky van de Ven described Mohammed Kudus as an “unbelievable player” and admitted Tottenham felt the absence of the Ghanaian forward even though they beat Totten ham 4-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Kudus missed the game with a minor knock, leaving Spurs fans with hearts in their mouths. For Van de Ven, the setback served as a reminder of how quickly the summer signing has become central to Ange Postecoglou’s side.
He told Telecom Asia after the Champions League at the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium:
Mohammed Kudus is an unbelievable player and we missed him in the game against Copenhagen. Hopefully he will be fit for us in the weekend against Manchester United. He’s an important player for us and I don’t know the details of his absence, but hopefully he should be back for us.
Tottenham’s performance in the Champions League carried a sharper edge than their derby defeat to Chelsea, but Van de Ven admitted the team are still striving for consistency as they balance the demands of Europe and the Premier League.
He said of the Chelsea defeat:
This was a derby and we wanted more. We did not play well as a team and we needed to bounce back and now we have done that.
Thomas Frank’s side have shown resilience in moments of pressure, but the Dutch centre-back was quick to stress that improvement must continue, particularly with Manchester United visiting north London this weekend.
He added:
We needed to respond and we did it well tonight against Copenhagen. Now the attention is with Manchester United. First we have to recover well, make sure our preparation is right. The game will be tough and important for us ahead of the international break.
Van de Ven also singled out his compatriot Xavi Simons for praise after another energetic display in Europe.
He said of the new signing:
He really created some big opportunities in this game. He’s clearly come into a new country and a new league and everybody expects big things from him straight away, but he needs time. You can see that every game he’s making strides and he was fantastic tonight.
Tottenham’s evening in the Champions League ended with the breakthrough they craved and Van de Ven’s words carried a quiet confidence. Spurs remain a work in progress under Thomas Frank, yet the belief within the squad and the hope that Kudus can return in time for Manchester United suggests that their ambitions this season still run deep.
