Tottenham: Thomas Frank confirms Radu Dragusin injury return timeline as friendly planned | OneFootball

The defender is slowly returning for a serious knee injury

The 23-year-old has returned to the grass in recent weeks and has been building up his fitness, but Thomas Frank warned earlier in the season that Spurs would be patient with Dragusin's recovery.

"It's going well," Frank said of Dragusin's recovery.

"He's fully integrated into training now. Because an ACL is such a...  it's not tricky but it's such a big injury, because you're out for nine months so you need to build strength in the knee and so on.

"Then because we don't train that much, the big area stuff is not that much so we need to give him some of the bigger area stuff. But he is definitely getting closer to being involved."

Radu Dragusin has not played since January

AFP via Getty Images

Asked whether that meant Dragusin could be in contention to play after next month's international break, Frank said: "That could be likely.

"I think we plan to play him in a friendly there, as I understand it, so that's a big part of it."

Spurs followed a similar plan with Randal Kolo Muani earlier this month, using a behind-closed-doors friendly against Watford at the training ground to give the Frenchman 45 minutes as he recovered from a dead leg.

Romania were keen to call up Dragusin to their squad for the most recent international break but that was blocked by Spurs.

Reports suggest that they plan to do so again for the November fixtures when they play crucial World Cup qualifiers against Bosnia and Herzegovina and San Marino.

However, Frank said: "Of course I haven't spoken to him about it but that doesn't make sense to me."

Dragusin's return to fitness would be a major boost for Spurs, who are currently short of defensive options.

Cristian Romero is still training individually after an adductor injury and Destiny Udogie remains unavailable with a knee issue. Ben Davies faces weeks out with a hamstring injury.

Kota Takai, meanwhile, was involved with the first team earlier this month after returning from a foot injury. However, he is not currently training and there is uncertainty over when he will return.