Tottenham relief as influential pair return to training
By Ryan Wrenn
After a interminably long international break, Tottenham reconvened on the training pitch on Wednesday — with a couple new faces in the mix.
Well, perhaps it’s too much to call Érik Lamela and Danny Rose “new”, but Tottenham will certainly welcome them back as if they are.
It’s been nearly a year since Lamela last played in Spurs colors, while a knee injury kept Rose out of contention from January 31st on.
The pair joined their teammates — many of whom sealed qualification for next summer’s World Cup over the break — in the first training back ahead of Bournemouth’s visit on Saturday afternoon.
Their presence in training shouldn’t be taken as a sign that either will be available against the Cherries however. Putting on the kit and walking out with Harry Kane et al is a far cry from being fit enough to start, or even sit on the bench.
Tottenham’s minders are optimistic that both players will continue to approach that goal over the next few weeks. Given Mauricio Pochettino’s preference for, let’s say, overstating injury concerns, it’s conceivable that one or both might be back sooner than that.
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Their availability comes none too soon for Tottenham. An uneven August preceded a fiery September, as is often the case, but now the club is tasked with sustaining that pace.
Keeping up with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea is difficult enough on its own, but it will be made all the more challenging by the schedule awaiting them over the next two months.
Spurs will play both Manchester United and Liverpool before October is out, then travel to Arsenal for the North London Derby in mid-November. Sandwiched in and around those fixtures will be two Champions League group stage matches against reigning champions Real Madrid and also a trip to Germany to take on an especially bitter Borussia Dortmund.
Somewhere in between that hectic schedule, Rose and Lamela should rejoin the match day squad. Their presence there isn’t enough though — both will need to reclaim the fine form they had before they succumbed to injury.
Lamela finally began to make an impact at Spurs in the 2015/16 season, and began last season in the same purple streak. While Heung-min Son capably filled part of the void left by Lamela, there have been more than a few times since last autumn where the Argentinian’s deft play between the lines was very missed.
If possible, Rose was on an even hotter streak before his own injury. Despite only playing a little more than half the season, the England left-back still managed to earn a place on the PFA Team of the Season.
Next: Tottenham World Cup qualification roundup
Even if they can though, they will still be in for a fight to start. Son and, increasingly, Moussa Sissoko are battling it out for spots in the attack, and it’s unlikely that Pochettino just installs Lamela back there automatically.
Meanwhile, Ben Davies is starting perhaps his best season yet at Spurs at left-back and left wing-back. It might be legitimately difficult for ever a star of Rose’s caliber to dislodge the Welshman at this point.