Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks has revealed he is hopeful over an immediate return for senior duo Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier as he discusses the problems suffered by the club in the middle of the park.
The young central talent was missing from Mauricio Pochettino’s side both at the end of last season and the beginning of the current campaign after being left recovering from a lengthy setback and has now established himself back in the team, with rivals for a first team role on the sidelines.
Mousa Dembele is out with a long-term problem while the London Evening Standard report a boost for the Lilywhites with Dier and Wanyama back in training, and Winks is hoping the duo return immediately.
He told the Evening Standard: “At the moment we’re short in midfield so it’s important I stay fit and can try to help the team as much as possible. But we’ve got players like Victor and Eric who are coming back hopefully sooner rather than later. It’s a decent challenge for me but I’m enjoying it.
“It was a difficult season with injuries last year, I had a lot of time off and all I could think about was getting back and playing as many games as possible. I’m loving it. As long as I’m playing and helping the team, I’m happy.”
Opinion
Even when Dier and Wanyama come back, you can be sure that fans will be hoping that Winks keeps his place in the starting XI, for he brings a creativity and guile that the other pair simply do not possess. Yes, they are central enforcers who do a magnificent job at winning possession and keeping the opposition from forming too many goal scoring opportunities, but going forward they lack the vision and mobility to really help the side – which is why Winks is such a talent. He has the tackling ability and energy to hassle and harry the opponents’ midfielders but it also great on the ball, offering the option to carry the ball or feed it with passing precision. When everyone at the club is fully fit, Winks might find himself forced to the substitutes’ bench but you can be certain that he is not near the bottom of the pecking order among the other senior options, and in the right scenario, he might even be Pochettino’s number one choice.