Jan Vertonghen return comes at perfect time for Tottenham as Chelsea near

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After missing nine games with injury since pulling up against Huddersfield Town, Jan Vertonghen will return to contention for Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham as they face Chelsea this weekend.

The Belgian has watched on as his side have kept three clean sheets in his absence, taking the team’s tally to the season to four. It is a surprisingly low figure given how much Pochettino builds his teams around a strong defensive base.

The likes of Juan Foyth, Serge Aurier and Ben Davies have stepped in at different times but with injuries hitting the likes of Kieran Trippier, defensive options are slim on the ground.

What has clearly been lacking amid these makeshift defences has been experience. Toby Alderweireld has been the leader of the back-line in Vertonghen’s absence but it is a role which suits the returning star more comfortably.

It also means that Tottenham could return to a back three if Pochettino wishes, having been forced to field a four man defence for much of this season without all of his options available to him.

Ahead of the visit of in-form Chelsea, Tottenham need Vertonghen’s strong communication and leadership at the back more than ever as they simply cannot afford to ship sloppy goals.