Rafael van der Vaart may miss start of season

Rafael van der Vaart could miss Tottenham Hotspur's opening Premier League fixture against Everton.

The Holland international picked up an ankle injury during Spurs' 3-2 friendly victory over Brighton & Hove Albion and will miss today's games against Athletic Bilbao as a result.

"We'll keep our fingers crossed for next weekend," Spurs assistant manager Kevin Bond told The Telegraph.

If Van der Vaart fails to make the Everton fixture, he should return for the Europa League play-off tie against Hearts on Tuesday, August 16.