Victor Wanyama is finally close to a return to first-team action for Tottenham Hotspur, according to Football.London.
The midfield anchorman has been absent since August with a knee injury that was originally expected to keep him sidelined for just a few weeks.
However, Wanyama has sat out 20 straight matches for the Lilywhites and has been missed in the centre of the park, with his team now sitting seventh in the Premier League table following a run of four games without a victory.
The report claims that the Kenya international has started indoor work and is back in the gym, meaning that he could return to the Spurs line-up for the notoriously demanding Christmas fixtures.
Wanyama has undoubtedly left a hole in the midfield after an excellent debut campaign for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, in which he started all but three of their 38 Premier League matches.
Tottenham went on to finish second last season behind Chelsea, but have struggled this term despite making a decent start.
A win over Crystal Palace in early November left them third in the standings, eight points behind leaders Manchester City.
Since then, though, they have suffered losses to rivals Arsenal and 2015-16 champions Leicester City, as well as frustrating draws with West Bromwich Albion and Watford to leave them with an 18-point deficit to the Citizens at the summit.
The absence of Wanyama’s presence and reading of the game in front of the defence has undoubtedly been a factor in their struggles and Pochettino will be keen to get him back in the side to reignite their push for a top-four finish.
Spurs host APOEL Nicosia in the Champions League on Wednesday night having already topped Group H ahead of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
They then welcome Stoke City to Wembley in the Premier League on Saturday, with a win the minimum requirement to keep the pressure on the teams above them.