Manager Ange Postecoglou stated on Friday that Tottenham Hotspur hopes to have their captain return for their next Europa League semi-final.
However, Son Heung-min is still sidelined for the trip to play Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
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A foot ailment has kept South Korean forward Son out of Tottenham’s last three games, but Postecoglou stated that he is the only problem to worry about going into Sunday’s match at Anfield.
On Thursday, Spurs will host Bodo/Glimt for the opening leg of their semi-final matchup.
“He’s improving, which is positive, but not for Sunday. We’ll see (for Thursday),” Postecoglou told reporters.
“It was the first time he got out on the grass today and it’s definitely better than what it was.
“It’s a foot element, so because it’s weight-bearing, you need to give him a bit of rest and time off it.”
While Postecoglou’s attention is on the Europa League, where his club may salvage a poor season with a trophy, he wants his squad to perform well at Anfield so that Liverpool can seal the league title with a draw against Spurs.
“We want to go there and compete well against a very good side. It’s not about getting through unscathed, you want to get through having played well against a top team,” Postecoglou said.
“Irrespective of what’s on the horizon, that’s still of primary importance to us.”
Spurs are currently 16th in the standings with 37 points after losing 18 league games this season.
They are also far from qualifying for Europe next season, but winning the Europa League would guarantee them Champions League football in addition to some hardware.
“We’re well aware our league form and position is nowhere near good enough but we also know there’s an unbelievable opportunity on the horizon,” the manager said.
“That’s where the focus is and that’s where the focus should be for a club that hasn’t had a lot of success recently.
“Collectively, if we give ourselves every opportunity to progress to a final then hopefully the momentum we gain from that will give us a chance to do something special.”
Postecoglou was a Liverpool supporter as a boy, but that will be far from his mind on Sunday.
“I’m almost a 60-year-old adult, I’ve gone past my boyhood crushes. It’s got no impact whatsoever,” he said.