Tottenham Hotspur have been handed an injury boost ahead of a busy winter schedule as manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed that winger Erik Lamela is ready to return to first-team action.
“Good news – Erik has stepped up and is in contention for tomorrow,” Pochettino told Spurs TV after training on Monday.
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Lamela hasn’t featured for the first team since an EFL Cup tie at Liverpool on October 25, 2016.
After undergoing hip surgery, the talented Argentine played an hour for Spurs’ Development Squad in a Premier League 2 (Reserve League) clash with Chelsea last week.
“Always in a very busy schedule you need everyone fit to help the team and that is very good news for the team,” the Spurs manager added.
Spurs, whose title ambitions were all but extinguished with a disappointing home draw against manager-less West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, now travel to the King Power Stadium to take on 2015-16 Premier League champions Leicester City on Tuesday night.
At one stage, the Lilywhites were in third place, but losses to Manchester United and Arsenal have seen them slip to fifth in the league table and they currently trail leaders Manchester City by 13 points.
Their poor home form has been a bane, but on the road Spurs have been impressive and will be heavy favourites to clinch three points against the 12th-ranked Foxes.
And the 25-year-old Lamela’s return bodes well for Spurs, who now have a plethora of attacking options ahead of two away clashes—against Leicester and then Watford on Saturday.
Pochettino continued, ”Of course, after more than one year, it’s so important to start to feel again the emotion to play and compete. It’s so important and of course I’m so happy because he is going to help the team a lot”.