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Roberto De Zerbi explains why he left out Micky Van de Ven for Man Utd clash as youngster trusted

Tottenham earned a point against Manchester United after Roberto De Zerbi made the surprise decision not to start Micky van de Ven against the Red Devils

By Scott Trotter · Football London

Published: Saturday, 10 October 2026 at 7:47 PM

Key Things to Know

Roberto De Zerbi benched Micky van de Ven against Manchester United to manage his playing minutes after international duty.
Van de Ven had started four consecutive matches for the Netherlands before being rested from the Tottenham starting lineup.
Dominic Solanke scored an equalizer to secure a 1-1 draw for Tottenham despite the team going down to ten men.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi explained that he benched defender Micky van de Ven against Manchester United to manage his workload. Van de Ven had started four consecutive international matches for the Netherlands during the break. De Zerbi highlighted Tottenham's squad depth, selecting Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi in central defense for the fixture.

Tottenham secured a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford despite being reduced to 10 men, with Dominic Solanke heading in a second-half equalizer. Van de Ven entered the match in the 73rd minute as De Zerbi made six changes overall, which also included a league start for Lucas Bergvall.

Read the full article on Football London

Roberto De Zerbi explains why he left out Micky Van de Ven for Man Utd clash as youngster trusted

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