LONDON — Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven rejected suggestions that the club’s players no longer care about the team’s situation. Tottenham sat 16th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone, with eight matches of the season left to play.

Questions have been raised over whether Tottenham’s squad are already thinking about their own futures beyond the current season. “It’s the biggest nonsense. Trust me - those involved on the pitch, the staff and the players - they care so much about the situation we are in right now,” van de Ven said.

Van de Ven said the group remained focused on improving results. “We just want to turn things around and that’s the main focus for everyone,” he said. He added: “People are just making things up. The only thing I can say about it is it’s not true.”

Tottenham drew 1-1 with Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday after coming from behind. In Europe, Tottenham trailed Atletico Madrid 5-2 from the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. The 5-2 defeat to Atletico was Tottenham’s sixth-straight loss, a club record.

Van de Ven said he found it difficult to hear claims that the squad did not care. “If reports say guys don’t care anymore it’s just frustrating for our guys,” he said.

Tottenham will be without midfielder Joao Palhinha for the tie with Atletico as he continued to recover from concussion. Defender Cristian Romero clashed heads with Palhinha in the first leg of the Champions League tie, and Romero will be available to play in the second leg. Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall were fit enough for the bench after recovering from hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively.

Van de Ven is a defender for Tottenham. He joined the club from Wolfsburg in August 2023.