Spurs keen on quick Vertonghen return

11 December 2013 16:16

Tottenham will use blood-spinning technique PRP to try to get Jan Vertonghen back to fitness in quick time.

Vertonghen suffered ankle ligament damage during Tottenham's 2-1 win over Fulham last week, and given that Vlad Chiriches and Younes Kaboul are currently injured, Spurs need their top centre-back to return as soon as possible.

In order to get Vertonghen back in first-team action as soon as possible, Spurs will take a sample of the player's blood, remove the platelets - the cells that assist the healing process - and inject them back into the injured area.

The technique, known as PRP (platelet-rich plasma), is supposed to improve injury recovery time, and given that Spurs have six games in the next 17 days, they need the player available as soon as possible.

"We will have the player in a boot for one to two weeks to try to settle it," Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas said of Vertonghen.

"We want to avoid surgery so we will use PRP treatment to try to get him back as soon as possible.

"We've had outstanding results with PRP treatment and we will do that again now."

Villas-Boas, just like his former mentor Jose Mourinho, is a firm believer in PRP, which has been declared legal by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The Portuguese used it to speed up the recovery of Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale last season.

Chiriches will undergo the treatment in order to help him overcome the knee injury that kept him out of last weekend's win at Sunderland.

Spurs have clawed their way back into the race for the top four recently following a draw against Manchester United and wins over Sunderland and Fulham.

Given that they face Liverpool, Southampton and Manchester United over the next few weeks, Spurs need to have all their best players fit, but Villas-Boas is sure he will have enough cover in defence over the festive period.

"Etienne Capoue had an excellent performance against Sunderland, Vlad could be back on Sunday so we still have enough cover," Villas-Boas said.

"In extreme situations we have Sandro and Kyle Walker, who have played in that position before too."

The good news from a foggy Enfield on Wednesday morning was that Christian Eriksen and Danny Rose are both back in first-team training.

Rose's return, after three months out with a toe injury, is particularly welcome now that Vertonghen has been sidelined.

"It took so much time for the joint to heal," Villas-Boas said of Rose.

"Now it's good news because we have him back, almost fit."

Rose and Eriksen are set to feature in Thursday's Europa League game against Anzhi Makhachkala.

One person who will not play is Emmanuel Adebayor even though he has returned to training following a knee injury.

Villas-Boas, who has not started Adebayor once this season, gave no reason for the Togo striker's absence.

Instead, young striker Shaquile Coulthirst looks set to feature against Anzhi.

Fellow academy products Ryan Fredericks and Laste Dombaxe are also in the squad. Villas-Boas can

afford to rotate his squad for the game at White Hart Lane as his team have already qualified as Group K winners.

Their opponents are guaranteed second place in the group, and their squad has been so decimated by injury that they have only brought 20 people - including the coaching staff - to London.

After significant investment by billionaire owner Suleiman Kerimov, Anzhi embarked on a radical cost-cutting venture earlier this season.

They sold well-paid players like Willian, Samuel Eto'o and Lassana Diarra. They now sit bottom of the Russian Premier League having not won a match all season.

Source: PA