Tottenham defender Danny Rose still a 'number of weeks' away from injury return

Tottenham Hotspur left-back Danny Rose remains a "number of weeks" away from making his return from injury, the club have confirmed. The England international has missed four matches across all competitions since being forced off with a knee problem during a goalless Premier League draw at former club Sunderland on 31 January.

Defensive regular Rose subsequently visited a specialist to determine the extent of the issue and played no part in matches against Middlesbrough, Liverpool, KAA Gent and Fulham. Manager Mauricio Pochettino did not put a timeline on his recovery prior to last week's surprise 1-0 Europa League last-32 first-leg defeat in Belgium, but insisted that the 26-year-old had responded well after suffering that injury at the Stadium of Light and was both "on plan" and "very positive".

Providing a team news update on social media ahead of the return fixture at a sold out Wembley Stadium on Thursday evening (23 February), Tottenham said: "Danny continues to recover and rehabilitate, but remains a number of weeks away from full training."

Tottenham will also remain without Erik Lamela as they look to overturn that narrow deficit against a team currently mid-table in the Belgian top-flight.

The Argentine winger is now back on the grass after missing four months as the result of a lingering hip injury, yet it remains unclear exactly when he will be in a position to play again.

"Erik Lamela is making progress and is now working on the field," Spurs added. "No date is yet confirmed for a return to full training."

Pochettino, who held clear-the-air training ground talks with his players after that initial loss at the Ghelamco Arena, currently has no other fitness concerns to contend with ahead of Gent's visit to northwest London. Influential defender Jan Vertonghen played the full 90 minutes on his first appearance for five weeks during Sunday's (19 February) FA Cup fifth-round win over Fulham, while striker Harry Kane showed no ill effects from a knock to his knee while notching an impressive hat-trick at Craven Cottage.