Five first-team players are all pushing to return to full training for Tottenham this week as they prepare to face Manchester United.
After Spurs were eliminated by Aston Villa in the FA Cup, manager Ange Postecoglou opened up on how he hoped to have a number of players back available in a game that could decide his future at the club.
He said he hopes for a “reset” and that “three, maybe four, players back this week, with the possibility of one or two others in the week or two after that”. Spurs have fallen to 14th on the table and have crashed out of both domestic cups in the space of four days as the manager relies on the vast injuries as an excuse.
However, Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner are all set to return to the side which will give Postecoglou a major boost in the coming weeks after many have called for him to step down from his position. Striker Dominic Solanke is behind the five stars with Postecoglou forecasting he would be out for around six weeks with the knee injury.
The likes of Richarlison, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are all ruled out, however, but after Postecoglou allowed his players Monday, Tuesday and Thursday off those who have returned may get the chance to get back up to speed before Sunday’s game. The Tottenham head coach explained how injuries have disrupted his season and have had a major effect on their inconsistent form.
“Two and a half months of asking 18-year-olds and 17-year-olds and senior players, with no rest, to play Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday,” he said. “If you think that is not at all a factor of how this team is performing then there’s nothing else I can say. There’s nothing else I can explain.”