Injured midfielder Victor Wanyama could make Tottenham return against Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur could welcome midfielder Victor Wanyama back from a lingering knee injury for their heavyweight Premier League clash with Liverpool later this month, reports suggest.

The Kenya international, who proved to be one of the bargains of the 2016 summer transfer window after reuniting with former Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino in north London, has not featured at all for Spurs since his wholly unconvincing display in a dramatic 2-1 defeat to London rivals Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in August.

Pochettino initially described the issue as minor, with Wanyama having been deemed fit to feature in the opening two matches of the season after sustaining a small problem with the cartilage in his left knee during July's pre-season defeat of French giants Paris Saint-Germain in Orlando.

Tottenham declared in early September that the 26-year-old, said to have suffered his latest knock in a training session held before the 1-1 draw with Burnley, would remain sidelined for a "few weeks". He has since missed eight matches across all competitions.

Such a period of absence has coincided with top-flight matches against Everton and West Ham United, in addition to opening Champions League Group H meetings with Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia.

It was believed that Wanyama, who "stepped up" his rehabilitation before the international break, could make his return a week on Tuesday (17 October) as Tottenham travel to Spain to face reigning European and La Liga champions Real Madrid.

However, the Daily Mail reports that the visit of Liverpool five days later on Sunday 22 October is now considered as a more realistic proposition. Wanyama is not expected to be in contention to play this Saturday, when Spurs, currently third in the Premier League and five points adrift of the dominant Manchester clubs, attempt to claim a fifth successive victory across all competitions at home to struggling Bournemouth.

In terms of Tottenham's other current casualties, Mousa Dembele could also resume first-team duties soon after Pochettino confirmed his belief that the Belgian would not require surgery on an ankle problem. Left-back Danny Rose has not played a single minute of football since suffering a medial knee ligament injury at Sunderland in January, while it is almost an entire year now since Erik Lamela last made an appearance.

The Argentine winger underwent operations on both of his hips earlier this year and is still thought to be targeting November for his long-awaited comeback. Lamela's omission from Pochettino's Champions League squad initially sparked concerns that he might be out until 2018.