Mauricio Pochettino admitted that he has grown “concerned” about Erik Lamela’s continued absence, almost three months after he last appeared for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Argentine midfielder is undergoing treatment on a hip injury in Rome and is due to have a scan tomorrow which will determine whether or not he needs surgery. Lamela was initially pencilled in to return to London later this month, but progress has been slow, prompting Friday’s scan.

It has been a difficult season for Lamela, who had to return to Argentina in December after a serious family emergency. When he returned he struggled to get back into the rhythm of recuperation in London, which is why Pochettino allowed him to work with the Italian doctors he knew when he played for Roma. But if Lamela does not make progress then his return to London will be further delayed. He last played for Spurs on 25 October last year, in the EFL Cup against Liverpool.

“Tomorrow he will have a scan,” Pochettino said today. “It’s still difficult to give the time for him to come back. We need to wait and see. There’s still some problems. We need to wait. We are starting to be concerned and worried about him because he has been out for nearly three months and the situation is not moving on.”

Pochettino was more optimistic about the recovery of Jan Vertonghen from the ankle ligament injury he sustained on Saturday. Vertonghen was initially feared to be out for at least two months, which could delay his Spurs return until 1 April, after the March international break. But Pochettino sounded a confident note about his absence today.

“Jan is ok, very positive, we are pushing him a lot,” Pochettino said. “We expect him to be out for less than what was, in the first moment, our idea. I don’t want to set a time limit but I think it’s positive and if your mind is positive you can recover early. It is good, because in the first moment it looked really bad, and the doctor thinks it’s not as bad as we thought at the beginning.”

Tottenham potential January transfers Show all 8 1 /8 Tottenham potential January transfers Tottenham potential January transfers IN: Bruma Spurs have been heavily linked with the Portuguese winger who was once hailed as the next Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite not living up to this yet, the 22-year-old has been in good form for Turkish giants Galatasaray this term, netting five whilst also creating five in 16 outings. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham potential January transfers IN: Jacob Murphy Young Norwich midfielder has attracted interest from some top Premier League sides for his performances in the first half of the season. It is thought that Spurs will be fighting Liverpool for the Canaries’ youth product’s signature. Getty Images Tottenham potential January transfers IN: Saido Berahino Ever since throwing a deadline-day strop back in 2015, after the Baggies rejected two bids from Tottenham, the 23-year-old attacker has failed to work his way back into Tony Pulis’ side. Berahino said he’d never play for his employers again on Twitter, and it could be likely that a move is imminent for the striker. Getty Images Tottenham potential January transfers IN: Ross Barkley Reports are suggesting that Spurs are expressing an interest in Barkley, whose contract expires in 18 months. Barkley has failed to live up to expectations under Ronald Koeman this campaign and it’s thought his time with the Toffees could be up. Getty Images Tottenham potential January transfers IN: Max Meyer German attacking midfielder Meyer is regarded as one of the hottest young talents in European football. However, in a hugely disappointing season from Schalke, Meyer hasn’t produced the goods that his employers would expect of him which may allow Spurs to get him cheaper. Bongarts/Getty Images Tottenham potential January transfers IN: Wilfried Zaha Tottenham wanted to bring the former Manchester United winger to White Hart Lane in the summer but were left rebuffed when their advances were rejected. That isn’t expected to deter them however and it is believed that they will come back in for Zaha in January, who is on international duty for Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations this month. It is unlikely that Palace would cut ties with their main man, though, considering the relegation dog fight they face. Getty Images Tottenham potential January transfers OUT: Tom Carroll Carroll has grown up in the Tottenham youth academy but has failed to burst his way on to the scene with the club, continuously being sent out on loan. The same might happen in January, after featuring only three times for Spurs this campaign, and it is likely a lot of Championship clubs will be looking to sign the 24-year-old. Getty Images Tottenham potential January transfers OUT: Harry Winks Mauricio Pochettino has shown faith in the 20-year-old this season and he really does look like a promising player for Spurs. Featuring on 12 occasions in the league this term, mostly from the bench, the Argentinian coach may want to loan him out so he can play on a more regular basis. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I

Spurs go to Manchester City in great form on Saturday and Pochettino said they are “1000 miles ahead” of where they were when he took over the club in 2014. “I think if we go backward to the first season, and we now start to see, analyse and judge, I think we are 1,000 miles ahead of then,” Pochettio said. “In football it’s about belief, faith, working hard, and it’s true that we have moved on the club in two and a half years.”

Lamela has already missed nearly three months this season (Getty)