Tottenham Hotspur caretaker manager Cristian Stellini has provided an update on the fitness of Spurs defender Ben Davies.
The 29-year-old has been out of action since suffering a hamstring injury in Tottenham’s 3-3 draw with Southampton in March.
Davies has missed on Spurs’ last three matches, but returned to training at Hotspur Way last week.
Stellini spoke to the Tottenham media team on Friday, ahead of Spurs’ Premier League trip to Newcastle United on Sunday.
“Ben is very close to coming back,” said the Italian.
“Tomorrow, we will see if he can train with us (full training) for the first time.
“It’s been a long time, so maybe this is the best news we have, but we are happy to have him back in training with us.”
Stellini stressed that Davies might not be fit in time to line up against Eddie Howe’s Magpies at St James’ Park.
When asked about the Welshman’s availability, the coach replied: “We don’t know.
“It’s a risk, so we have to decide tomorrow, but it’s important Ben is back for the next week.”
Stellini also said Clement Lenglet is “good” and suggested he could feature against Newcastle on Sunday.
In other updates, Lucas Moura serves the third match of his three-match suspension.
Long-term absentees Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Emerson Royal and Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) remain out.
Our view
Previous reports suggested that Davies would be out until the start of May.
As per The Independent, he was expected to miss the games against Newcastle, Manchester United and Liverpool.
If Spurs can get Davies back by the start of next week, that would be a big boost for Stellini and co.
Although his form has been somewhat mixed this season, he is still capable of “magnificent” moments.
Davies’ experience and commitment are an asset to Spurs and hopefully he can play a part in a successful end to the season.
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