Mauricio Pochettino has said Tottenham striker Harry Kane will not be ready for next Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Borussia but revealed the striker could return ahead of schedule against Burnley.
Kane has been missing since injuring ankle ligaments against Manchester United in January and was initially expected to be out until March at the earliest.
However, the England captain is already back in training and reports had suggested Kane could be available for the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against Dortmund at Wembley.
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Pochettino stressed that contest will still come too soon for Kane, though added there is a possibility he will return for the Premier League clash with Burnley on February 23.
“He’s doing well, fantastic,” the Spurs boss told a news conference.
“You know him well, we need to stop every day because he wants to be ahead of his recovery. He’s very optimistic and his determination to play as soon as possible is unbelievable.
“He’s doing well, he’s nearly ready to play but we need to be realistic too and in between all the areas to take the best decision.
“I think he’s so close to coming back. Not for Sunday [against Leicester City] or Wednesday [against Borussia Dortmund], but we will see after.”
On the possibility of Kane playing against Burnley, Pochettino replied: “Maybe, maybe.”
Tottenham confirmed on Friday that Dele Alli had returned to training following an ankle injury, but stressed that his recovery time would be different to Kane’s due to the nature of his injury.
“It’s a different injury so we need to handle it differently,” he said. “But he’s doing well and we are very happy.
Spurs will also be without Ben Davies as the full-back continues rehabilitation for a groin issue, while Vincent Janssen is also out with a knee problem.
In addition, Eric Dier will also miss Sunday’s clash with Leicester but should be welcomed back soon as he is only suffering from an illness.
“We will see,” Pochettino said. “He was affected by a virus and he needs time to recover.”