Tottenham are set to welcome back four key players for Saturday’s north London derby against Arsenal, but have also suffered a major blow as Toby Alderweireld was ruled out until after Christmas with a hamstring injury.
Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Hugo Lloris and Harry Winks all returned to full training today after undergoing 10 days of rehabilitation and are expected to be available at Emirates Stadium.
Kane (knee), Alli (hamstring) and Winks (ankle) all missed England’s friendly double-header against Germany and France while Lloris suffered a groin problem in Spurs’ Champions League win over Real Madrid.
Alderweireld limped out of the same match at Wembley and subsequent scans have revealed the injury is worse that first feared, meaning he will be sidelined for at least a month.
Speaking at Hotspur Way on Thursday, manager Mauricio Pochettino said: "We are happy because today they met the team and for the first time all the players arrive from international break and we need to assess all of them tomorrow. We have one training session more.
"We are optimistic but we need to wait and analyse every single case. I hope tomorrow we can count on them for the game but still we need to decide between the medical staff, sport science and us.
"I am happy because if they cannot play Saturday it is sure they are close to play Tuesday or next weekend. It is not a big issue like Toby. Toby is out. We need to assess him. We expect longer than we previously [thought] when the problem happened.
"Timescale? Maybe after Christmas. Maybe. That is the expectation. He feels disappointed. It’s a little bit sad but in the same way he is focused now on trying to recover as soon as possible, he is working hard, in the first stage of rehab. We are happy but this type of injury we must be cautious and it is a process of time we need to wait."
Tottenham have won at Arsenal just once in Premier League history - in November 2010 - but finished above their bitter rivals for the first time in 22 years last season.
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Pochettino’s opposite number Arsene Wenger has come under huge pressure from Arsenal fans - believing the change is emblematic of the Gunners’ longer term decline - but the Argentine was effusive in his praise of the man who has spent 21 years at one club.
"For me Arsenal is a great team," he said. "He is a fantastic manager. I respect him a lot and admire him.
"In a derby it is difficult to see one favourite. Of course if you see the history, Arsenal was above Tottenham in the last 20 years and he deserves a lot of credit for that.
"To stay in a club for five years, it because you are a good manager, ten years it is because you must be very good.
"For more than 20 years, it is because you are special. I admire him a lot, he is a very special manager.
"But, of course, I think he knows better than me a derby is not only about performance, it means a lot for our fans and their fans. It is always special to play. It is not imp how you arrive. The derby is special and anything can happen.
"In the last 22, 23 years only we finish above Arsenal one time. That does not mean today we are above Arsenal. We must respect them.
John Dillon's favourite north London derbies at White Hart Lane
"They were great under Arsene Wenger’s era. I think for us it is a massive challenge to stay there and be competitive against a team that in the last 20 years has won more trophies than us, always was on the top, always was competing not only in the Premier League but in the Champions League too.
"For us it is a massive challenge because only in one year, last year, we were above them. Now we need to believe we are there and deserve too much praise or credit.
"We need to build our project, our era too. Of course, we need to fight and try to win.
"Arsenal, not only in the past, but today they have a great team, a great manager. We need to show massive respect to them."