Tottenham handed major Cristian Romero injury boost for Manchester United trip

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has returned to full training and is back in contention for Spurs' visit to Manchester United on Sunday.

The Argentine centre-back has not played since the 2-1 win over Everton on December 23, having picked up a hamstring strain in that match.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said he expected Romero to miss four to five weeks of action in another costly injury blow to his side.

The dual absences of Romero and first-choice defensive partner Micky van de Ven led to Spurs having to play two full-backs in central defence in Ben Davies and Emerson Royal, while Romero's injury and that of fellow vice-captain James Maddison coupled with skipper Heung-min Son's commitments with South Korea at the delayed Asian Cup have left Postecoglou short on leaders.

However, it is a major boost to the Australian that Romero is back in contention for Sunday, with the fit-again Van de Ven - along with long-term absentee Ryan Sessegnon - having returned to the matchday squad during last Friday's 1-0 win over Burnley in the FA Cup third round.

Former Chelsea forward Timo Werner could make his debut for Tottenham against Manchester United having joined on loan from RB Leipzig until the end of the season this week, while Romanian defender Radu Dragusin may also be in the squad as fans await official confirmation of his £25.8million move from Serie A club Genoa on Thursday.

Romero's compatriot Giovani Lo Celso sustained a muscle issue in the match against Burnley and is expected to miss the trip to Old Trafford, where a win would see Tottenham leapfrog Arsenal into the Premier League's top four with their north London rivals currently on their winter break and not in action again until January 20.

Spurs currently sit fifth, just a point behind the Gunners with a worse goal difference after their victory over Bournemouth on New Year's Eve.

Davies also suffered a hamstring injury against Burnley, joining the likes of Maddison, Ivan Perisic and Alejo Veliz on the sidelines.

Like captain Son, midfielders Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are both currently away on international duty, while Eric Dier is in Munich to complete a move to Bayern that will see him reunite with former Tottenham and England team-mate Harry Kane.

Standard Sport reported on Tuesday that Tottenham winger Manor Solomon is hoping to be back in first-team training next week and in contention for the heavyweight FA Cup fourth round clash with holders Manchester City on January 27, having not featured since undergoing surgery on a knee injury sustained in training back in October.