Tottenham defender Ben Davies is a doubt for the return of the Premier League after suffering a painful stomach muscle injury at the World Cup, football.london understands.
A firm favourite of Antonio Conte's, the 29-year-old has started the bulk of Spurs' matches this season but is a doubt for the Boxing Day return of the Premier League due to an injury he suffered in Qatar. The defender had to come off just before the hour mark of Wales' 3-0 defeat to England on November 29.
football.london understands that during the game Davies suffered a painful injury to his oblique muscle, which is located in the abdominal area. The recovery period for the damaged muscle is expected to be up to four weeks and that means he could be a doubt for Tottenham's Premier League return at Brentford on Boxing Day.
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Davies is not the only injury Spurs suffered at the World Cup with reports in Uruguay suggesting midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur will be out for similar time period with a small tear in the adductor muscle in his right leg. The 26-year-old needed to leave the action in the first half - 33 minutes in - of his country's 2-0 victory against Ghana that ultimately was not enough for them to progress from the group stages.
Bentancur, who has become a key player for Conte in the centre of the pitch, is suspended for the match at Brentford on December 26 so will be battling to be fit in time for Tottenham's next match, at home against Aston Villa on New Year's Day.
Spurs' non-World Cup players will begin their match preparations as they welcome Scottish Premiership side Motherwell to their Hotspur Way training complex on Friday afternoon to play their first friendly of the mid-season break. The game is behind closed doors but will be shown on the club's SpursPlay streaming service as Conte continues his work with the players back in Enfield.
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