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Fans of top Premier League clubs frown at this reason for Tottenham’s jubilation

Fans of top Premier League clubs frown at this reason for Tottenham’s jubilation

Despite falling just short of reaching the Carabao Cup on Thursday night following defeat to Chelsea in the return leg, Tottenham Hotspur fans have cause to celebrate after realising their club will be getting a great boost with the return of South Korea’s Heung-min Son. The Asian forward is now free to return to the Premier League club after his country got knocked out of the Asian Cup on Friday. South Korea were beaten 1-0 by 2022 FIFA World Cup host Qatar in the quarter-final stage, meaning Son will no longer need to be in Abu Dhabi for the semi-finals on January 29 or the final on February 1.

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 26: Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after he scores his sides 5th goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and AFC Bournemouth at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 26, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images)

It will be a major boost for Tottenham who were without Son, Harry Kane and Dele Alli for the Carabao Cup semi-final defeat at Chelsea on Thursday evening. Kane and Alli are expected to be ruled out until March with ankle and hamstring injuries respectively, so the 26-year-old’s return will be very welcome news for Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino with a spate of crucial games in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup looming in the next few weeks. Son is unlikely to be back in time for the FA Cup fourth-round tie against Crystal Palace on Sunday but he is more realistically going to be available for the Premier League game against Watford at Wembley next Wednesday.

Tottenham Hotspur's Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen (R) celebrates with Tottenham Hotspur's English midfielder Dele Alli (2R) and Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane (L), scoring the team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth at Wembley Stadium in London, on October 14, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Adrian DENNIS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Further home games against Newcastle United and Leicester City, where Super Eagles stars Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho ply their trade, follow at the beginning of February, before the first leg of the Champions League tie at Wembley against German Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund comes up on February 13. Pochettnio’s side would then face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before hosting Arsenal at Wembley in the Premier League before travelling to Dortmund for the return leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.

Tottenham is currently third on the Premier League table with 51 points from 23 games, nine points behind leaders Liverpool, with the trio of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United not far behind in fourth to sixth place as all four clubs chase qualification to next season’s UEFA Champions League. In another boost for Spurs, the Chelsea loss in the Carabao Cup saw the return of Brazilian forward Lucas Moura from injury as Pochettino will hope to have as many of his stars as possible fit enough for the difficult run of games coming up for the club.