Mauricio Pochettino is not completely closing the door on Danny Rose being available for Tottenham Hotspur's north London derby against Arsenal just yet.
Full-back Rose has not played a Premier League game since picking up an injury against Sunderland at the end of January and questions have continued to be asked about when he will be fit again.
Pochettino is not sure when Rose will be back, though he has recently started to train again with the squad and Spurs will monitor how he comes through the sessions.
Hopes have been raised that Rose could be available when Spurs host Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday, but Pochettino cannot give a definitive answer.
"It’s so difficult [to say when he will be back]. Next Sunday it will be three months since he got injured", Pochettino told a press conference.
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"Today he started to do some things with the group, we’ll see how he reacts in the next few days and then we’ll see.
"It’s not the same to be in training and have to compete after three months, we are always careful with him but we are happy, he is in a good way and we hope that as soon as possible he can be available to be selected and to be in the squad again.
"It’s so difficult to say [if he can be fit to face Arsenal]. Today it’s difficult because we need to check him.
"It will be difficult because he needs to feel training hard and recover the feeling of competition.
"After three months it’s always difficult for a player that is injured but we’ll see.
"We are not closed, we are flexible and we are always open to try to adjust for the players every day", he added.
Spurs will be keen to beat Arsenal not just to damage their fierce rivals' hopes of finishing in the top four, but also to keep their own hopes of reeling in league leaders Chelsea alive.
