Tottenham handed huge injury boost
Scott Parker and Benoit Assou-Ekotto have both resumed training for Tottenham Hotspur, gifting Andre Villas-Boas a significant injury boost ahead of their Premier League match-up against Swansea on Sunday.
Assou-Ekotto, 28, returned to first team training after being sidelined for three months with a knee injury. The defender couldn’t contain his excitement at the prospect of rejoining his team-mates, humorously tweeting: ‘Training with the team today!!! I hope I’ll remember the name of every one LOL.’
The Cameroonian has served as Spurs’ incumbent left-back for four years, however, his knee complaint has been serious enough to restrict the first team regular to three appearances this season.
Parker, 32, hasn’t been able to pull on the Spurs shirt at all this term, with an Achilles injury keeping him out since the summer. As the recipient of the club’s Player of the Year award for the 2011/12 season, the midfielder has now managed to make appearances for the Spurs U21s and reserves over the last seven days.
The Tottenham manager will confirm later this week whether Assou-Ekotto and Parker will be ready and available for their Sunday afternoon game at White Hart Lane.
December 12th, 2012
Good news – even better when we hear when Kaboul will be back to join them.
December 12th, 2012
Kaboul has seriously been missed in the Spurs back four. His return, with BAE and Parker, would make AVBs life a lot easier moving into the second half of the season.
December 12th, 2012
how has parker 32 made an appearance for the england under 21′s lol
December 12th, 2012
The Spurs U21s and the reserve team, at the training ground… that might look a little unclear.
December 12th, 2012
sorry i meant spurs u21 his 32 11 years to old
December 12th, 2012
I’m unsure how many over 21s are allowed to play, or if they just allow the odd recovering senior to tag along, but he played against Sunderland in a competitive Spurs U21 game…
http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/spurs/News/sunderland-2-1-under-21s-report-10122012.page
December 12th, 2012
yea i just saw that my bad
i just kinda thought u21′s would mean u21′s.
who would of thought Barclays U21 Premier League would allow older players
December 12th, 2012
No problem at all, it made do a double-take when I first heard about it too. Then I remembered that I once saw a Charlton U21 game as a kid with John Robinson (Welsh midfielder) playing in his first game back after injury. It must be something that’s always been allowed.
December 12th, 2012
Just found this i’ll look before commenting next time lol
The Professional Development League is open to players in the under-21 age group or younger, but each team sheet may contain the names of one overage goalkeeper and three overage outfield players.
December 12th, 2012
There you go, can’t say I knew the exact regulation on overage players in U21 matches, but I did remember seeing it once before at The Valley.