Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mousa Dembele is training individually as he plans his recovery from a hip injury. According to news from Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws (h/t insidefutbol), the Belgian international is desperate to get back to playing.
The frustration of the player is understandable considering the amount of time he has missed this season. Largely plagued by injuries, Dembele has scarcely featured for Spurs.
The 30-year-old is one of the favourites of manager Mauricio Pochettino who regards the Belgian as a key member of his side. However, he has featured for only 458 minutes so far in the campaign over 6 appearances in all competitions for the Lilywhites.
The last outing for the Belgian was in a 1-0 win over Barnsley in the EFL Cup on 19th September. There is a growing concern within the management about his increasing fitness problems. As indicated by Pochettino in the pre-match conference last Friday ahead of the match against Liverpool, Spurs are concerned about the Belgian’s continued absence.
Tottenham assistant manager Jesus Perez, who revealed that the Belgian midfielder suffered a setback in his recovery last week, went on to add that Dembele struggled to cope with the intensity of first-team training.
There is a silver lining, though, as the player is training individually and he is trying his best to get back on the field. It still remains unclear when that return would be, but it is certain that both the player and the club want him back on the field as quickly as possible.
The anticipation is understandable as Spurs enter a crucial phase of the campaign. After a slow start, the team has settled into a nice rhythm and are currently winding down the gap on early pace-setters Manchester City.
The frequency of games will also increase with EFL Cup action set to resume and Champions League action to continue as well. There is enough cover in the squad but Pochettino would love to have Dembele at his disposal sooner than later.
Do you think Mousa Dembele’s absence will hit us hard?
