Thomas Frank has offered a fresh fitness update on one of Tottenham’s newest signings, and he could finally join in with first-team training this week.
Thomas Frank has managed to integrate several of his summer arrivals into the Tottenham squad, with Joao Palhinha, Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons all settling into life in north London and already making their mark on the pitch.
Others, however, have required a little more patience, as Randal Kolo Muani has only just been handed his first minutes in the Champions League, while another arrival, Kota Takai, is still waiting for his Tottenham debut.
The Japanese international, who joined from Kawasaki Frontale, has been sidelined with a foot injury since completing his move to Tottenham, which has delayed his introduction to English football and left fans eager to finally watch him in action.
It was confirmed yesterday that Takai had stepped back onto the training pitches at Hotspur Way, although his work was limited to individual sessions, which is still a clear sign that his recovery is moving in the right direction.
Tottenham fans are yet to see Takai feature in a competitive match, but Thomas Frank has now provided a timeline on when the centre-back could finally join full training.
Speaking to the club’s official channel, the Tottenham manager revealed: “He is very close to training with the group. I am pretty sure he will train with the group on Monday.”
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Spurs could hand Takai his first minutes against Doncaster
If Takai does return to full training on Monday, then it opens the door for him to potentially make his first appearance later in the week.
Tottenham are set to face Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday, 24 September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which looks an ideal fixture to ease him into competitive action and allow the Japan international to build up valuable minutes.