Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has returned to training but is not yet ready to complete 90 minutes in the Premier League, according to Jose Mourinho, per Football.London.

What’s the word?

The official Spurs Twitter account confirmed on Tuesday that Ndombele was back in contention to play.

He has missed the two Premier League games against Liverpool and Watford with a groin strain.

While he is back, Mourinho has poured cold water on the idea of him playing a full 90 minutes.

Speaking in his press conference prior to Wednesday’s clash with Norwich City, he said: “He's ready, he's not ready for 90 minutes. He will be involved. He will be selected.

“I'm not telling you to start or come later, but no injury. Completely free. Just a question of condition and mentality to be ready, but he's back tomorrow.”

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Take small steps

This is some good news for Spurs at last.

However, Mourinho’s quotes suggest that he could be thrown straight back into the deep end and one has to question whether that is the right approach.

After all, Ndombele has struggled with injury this season – he missed clashes with Newcastle United and Arsenal due to a hamstring issue – and one has to wonder if selecting him immediately after his return to training is the best plan.

The risk of aggravating the injury will surely be higher than usual against Norwich and it pays in cases like this to take a soft approach above all else.

Playing him on Wednesday would be a bad idea.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans have debated the possibility of signing a superstar striker!