Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a timely boost ahead of Saturday’s Premier League lunchtime clash against Bournemouth in North London.
Manager Thomas Frank has confirmed that Destiny Udogie is back in the squad after a lengthy lay-off.
The Italian left-back has not featured since the club’s first pre-season friendly at Reading after picking up a knee injury in the warm-up before a game against Luton Town in late July.
That injury kept him out of Tottenham’s Asian tour and their opening three games of the season, including their penalty shoot-out defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.
Last week, Frank hinted that Udogie was close to returning from injury, but their trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City came too soon for the defender.
The Danish tactician has now confirmed that Udogie is ready to rejoin the squad and could make his first appearances of the season this weekend.
“Yes, he could feature,” Frank said when asked about Udogie’s availability during his pre-match press conference. “He’s in the squad and that’s very positive for us.”
It’s not all good news on the injury front
Tottenham fans will be buzzing about Udogie’s return to first-team training, but it’s not all good news on the injury front.
Frank also confirmed that Spurs will be without Yves Bissouma for the game against Bournemouth.
The midfielder, who has been linked with a summer move to the Turkish top flight, is carrying a knock that will need more time to settle.
Frank didn’t give a timeframe for the midfielder’s recovery, but he doesn’t expect the lay-off to drag on for too long.
“He’s out for the next game,” Frank said. “I don’t have a specific timeline for him, but I don’t think it will be that long.”
Frank is also being cautious about centre-back Radu Dragusin, who is recovering from a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The Romanian defender has stepped up his rehabilitation and is now running outdoors. Frank reckons it’s only a matter of time before he joins the rest of the squad in first-team training.