(Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur have missed Victor Wanyama’s presence in midfield but the 26-year-old is nearing a first-team return after recovering from a serious knee injury, manager Mauricio Pochettino has said.
The Kenya international, who missed just two Premier League games last season, has been sidelined for four months after aggravating a knee injury ahead of Tottenham’s home match against Burnley in August.
“We will see when he can be involved again. Last season, he was such an important player for us,” Pochettino told reporters.
”And this season, it’s true. In a position that you need to be strong, we have missed a player like him.
“It will be fantastic if, as soon as possible, he can be again involved and available to be selected because he is a very good player - a very important player for us.”
Wanyama will miss the trip to Burnley on Saturday but could return during Tottenham’s packed festive season schedule that includes league games against Southampton, Swansea City and West Ham United in the space of 10 days.
Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford
