Spurs set for more important comebacks in weeks ahead as selection crisis continues to ease
Key duo: Tottenham will hope to have Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven back from injury in the next few weeks
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George Flood1 minute ago
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Tottenham’s long-running winter injury crisis continues to ease ahead of their midweek Premier League clash with Manchester City.
Spurs have been plagued by severe fitness problems for months amid a torrid run of form that left them sinking towards the relegation zone and out of both domestic cup competitions amid huge pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou.
However, a number of key players have returned of late to help Tottenham make it three top-flight wins in a row after defeats of Brentford and Manchester United were followed by Saturday’s 4-1 rout of Ipswich at Portman Road.
While several important performers are still on the sidelines, Spurs seem optimistic of more key boosts in the weeks ahead as they look to rise up the league and keep their Europa League ambitions on track with a last-16 clash against AZ Alkmaar.
The first leg of that tie in the Netherlands comes a week after Tottenham host City, with more clear time to spend on the training pitch only set to bring more benefit. Here is the latest Tottenham injury news and potential return dates.
Micky van de Ven
Micky van de Ven has made just two Spurs appearances since October, pulling up with another hamstring injury against Chelsea in December before playing 45 minutes against Elfsborg in their final Europa League league phase fixture last month.
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Postecoglou has spoken of the need to be cautious with such an impressive athlete who at 23 has a huge career ahead of him, warning against rushing him back before he is completely ready.
The Tottenham boss said it was more now about the mechanics and ensuring that Van de Ven is better equipped to handle the effects of his athleticism in the future rather than the injury itself, stating before the win over Manchester United that it would be another two to three weeks of work.
Wednesday night’s visit of City will probably come just too soon for Van de Ven, but barring any setbacks he should be available for the first leg against Alkmaar, a club where he spent time as a youngster.
Potential return date: Thursday March 6, vs AZ Alkmaar (A)
Cristian Romero
Cristian Romero joined fellow first-choice Tottenham centre-back Van de Ven as a long-term injury absentee, playing just three times since October himself, including in that ill-fated 4-3 defeat by Chelsea in early December.
Ahead of the United game, Postecoglou said the Argentine was also two to three weeks away, though added that Spurs were awaiting the result of another scan to make sure the injury had healed properly after admitting his recovery had taken longer than expected.
He then said before the win over Ipswich that the scan had gone well and that Romero was in a “good place”, which Tottenham fans will hope means he could also be back to face Alkmaar.
Potential return date: Thursday March 6, vs AZ Alkmaar (A)
Dominic Solanke
Along with the two aforementioned centre-backs, Tottenham’s other biggest absentee at the moment is striker Dominic Solanke, who has been missing since the north London derby loss at Arsenal on January 15 due to a knee issue that was expected to keep him out for around six weeks.
He was given the same “two-to-three week” prediction by Postecoglou ahead of the United win and his manager said before the Ipswich game that he wasn’t far behind Van de Ven and Romero in terms of hopefully being back around the time of that first leg in Alkmaar.
Potential return date: Thursday March 6, vs AZ Alkmaar (A) or Saturday March 9, vs Bournemouth (H)
Richarlison
It’s been a frustrating stop-start season due to injury for Richarlison, who picked up a calf issue during the heavy Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg defeat at Liverpool earlier this month.
But Postecoglou has said that, like Solanke, the Brazilian is not far behind Van de Ven and Romero in terms of his latest recovery.
He seems like another player who could well be back in the mix around the time of that two-legged Alkmaar tie, which is sandwiched between a home meeting with Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Potential return date: Thursday March 6, vs AZ Alkmaar (A) or Saturday March 9, vs Bournemouth (H)
Timo Werner
RB Leipzig loanee Timo Werner last played for Tottenham in the FA Cup win at non-league Tamworth on January 12, having sustained a hamstring injury.
Postecoglou said before the win over United that the former Chelsea forward was back in training and getting “pretty close” to being available, though he wasn’t included in the squad to face Ipswich.
Provided there have been no setbacks, Werner could presumably be in contention for a place on the bench when City come to town.
Potential return date: Wednesday February 26, vs Manchester City (H)
Radu Dragusin
The only player not expected back this season for Tottenham is defender Radu Dragusin, who injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against Elfsborg and then underwent surgery. He will miss at least six months and seems likely to return in the early stages of next season, depending on his recovery progress.
Potential return date: Next season
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