Tottenham captain Son Heung-min’s fitness will continue to be monitored and built up as Spurs prepare to take on Premier League new boys Ipswich on Sunday.
Son missed games for Spurs and South Korea earlier in the season due to a hamstring injury, before returning against West Ham and then missing another three games.
The 32 year-old played 45 minutes in Tottenham’s 3-2 Europa League loss to Galatasaray on Thursday and may be kept out again at the weekend.
“He had the injury, we brought him back and in the first game back he had a relapse,” manager Ange Postecoglou said.
One @PremierLeague clash before the international break 🌍
👉 @Castrol pic.twitter.com/tKJJplE1ku
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 8, 2024
“We don’t want to put him into that cycle, it’s very easy to fall into it by pushing players particularly when they’re coming back from injury. We’re managing his minutes and building him up.
“It’s about making sure we get him back and keep him back. We can’t afford more injuries in that position. We’ve already got Wilson (Odobert) with a long-term injury, (Richarlison) with a long-term injury, and Mikey (Moore) is out now.”
Spurs, seventh in the league with 16 points from 10 matches, have struggled to put together a winning streak and trail leaders Liverpool by nine points, but Postecoglou says it is too early to concentrate on the standings.
“We still have a hell of a long way to go. What’s important for us is to keep progressing in the way we have been. Our football for the large part has been pretty consistent, pretty good,” the Australian added.
“We’ve had a couple of stumbles along the way but within that context, I still think we’re making progress. There’s no point looking at the table now because ultimately it’s where you are at the end of the season that’s going to count.”
Defender Micky van de Ven is out until after the international break and Timo Werner is also a problem.
