Tottenham's Kane nearing return from injury - Pochettino

(Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane is set to make a swift return from an ankle injury as manager Mauricio Pochettino expects the prolific striker to be available for selection before the end of the season.

Kane, the Premier League club's leading marksman with 24 goals, sustained the injury during Tottenham's FA Cup win over Millwall this month.

The north London side refused to put a time scale on the 23-year-old's return but media reports had suggested he was set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

"He will be fit before the end of the season and we believe he can be available in the near future," Pochettino told reporters on Thursday. "...I cannot provide a time it will take for him to be available again, but I don't think it will be too long."

Pochettino, however, was not as optimistic about defender Danny Rose's recovery from a knee injury. "He is probably a little bit behind Harry Kane, but we are positive. We need to wait to see what happens with the specialist," he said.

Pochettino also said his meeting with Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu last week was a "coincidence" and ruled out ever managing the Spanish champions. He cited his love for their city rivals Espanyol, where he spent over a decade as a player and manager.

"I've known him (Bartomeu) for a long time. We spent five minutes together...and you know, the rumours after are impossible to stop. I love Espanyol and like now Tottenham for me, it would be impossible one day to move to Arsenal."

Tottenham, who are second in the table, 10 points behind leaders Chelsea, will look to extend their three-game winning streak when they travel to face 13th-placed Burnley on Saturday.

(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; editing by Mark Heinrich)