Tottenham Hotspur winger Erik Lamela has not featured for over a year after a hip injury.
Lamela has been out injured for over a year, after picking up a hip problem back in October 2016.
The Argentine winger’s return has taken a lot longer than expected, and although he is back training, Pochettino has still not seen fit to re-introduce Lamela to his first-team line-up.
And it seems that Pochettino is still waiting for Lamela to confirm that he is ready to return to competitive action.
“Like I told you before, we are waiting for him to say, ‘gaffer, Jesus, doctor, I am ready to compete’,” Pochettino said.
“For us, it’s so close, so close. We are waiting. Maybe he’ll surprise us today or next week. I feel it’s so close. He just needs that click in his mind to say ‘yes, I feel ready for the competition’.”
Lamela is likely to be eased back into action for Spurs, when he does return to full fitness.
The 25-year-old’s return can only be considered good news for Tottenham, as it will increase their attacking options.
Before his injury Lamela was a key player for the Lilywhites, with his work-rate making him a favourite of Pochettino.
Tottenham’s next match comes against Manchester United tomorrow at Old Trafford, but it seems that it will come too soon for Lamela to feature.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
