Tottenham Hotspur hope to have Giovani Lo Celso, Cristian Romero and Davinson Sanchez available for Sunday’s Premier League derby against Chelsea after the trio returned from COVID-19 quarantine amid an injury crisis, manager Nuno Espirito Santo said.
The South Americans are coming back from international duty having trained in Croatia to avoid quarantining in England where they would have had to stay in a hotel for 10 days because they visited Brazil, which is on the UK’s “red list”.
“They arrive Saturday. We have a training session in the afternoon,” Nuno told reporters on Friday, adding that he would have to assess the trio.
“They have been working hard back in Croatia with the sports science (department). It’s not the same (as training at the club) but due to circumstances we have to assess them properly.
“If we (think) they will be an option, we must consider them. For us, as a group, it’s been hard because absences are always a problem, it requires solutions, it requires adaptations.”
Spurs lost their last Premier League match at Crystal Palace without a host of players. The club’s forwards Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura are also doubts after picking up injuries in Thursday’s 2-2 Europa Conference League draw at Rennes.
Dutch winger Bergwijn limped out of the match on the half-hour mark and was soon followed by Brazilian Moura, adding to Spurs’ growing injury list which includes forward Son Heung-min and defenders Eric Dier and Ryan Sessegnon.
Defender Japhet Tanganga is unavailable due to suspension.
“It feels painful, it feels really bad,” Nuno said. “They are being taken care of by the medical department, but it’s been tough. It’s been terrible. I must be honest.”
Spurs are seventh in the table after their first defeat of the season at Palace, a point behind Chelsea who are unbeaten and sit in second place behind Manchester United.
