Harry Kane to return from ankle injury next week

“Good progress, he’s happy with the progress and of course we’re happy too,” he said. “I think it’s not a very optimistic thing to say next week he should be playing, it will be just a consequence of his good evolution.

“So we’re happy. We were scared when it happened but next week we play Everton and City at the weekend. I believe for one of these matches he should be back.”

Mourinho revealed that he had a productive meeting with Dele Alli on Tuesday.

Spurs blocked a loan move to Paris St Germain during the transfer window, which Alli, who is carrying an injury, was unhappy about having been frozen out under Mourinho this season.

However, the Portuguese said the pair found “common ground” during their meeting and insists Spurs need Alli back to his best.

“He needs to recover from his injury, he needs to be back to training and have a fresh start,” Mourinho said. “Because in the last few weeks he couldn’t even train. So that’s the most important thing.

“I had a good conversation with him yesterday. We spoke around this question you asked me and we found very common ground, let’s say.

“It’s an important period of the season for the team and for him also. We need him. We need a good Dele Alli and we’re just waiting for him to be back to normality and training with the team.

“It’s not just Dele. It’s Dele, Kane, Giovani Lo Celso. And without all three players we miss a little bit of creation and magic in the attacking areas. So we need him back and I made that very sure to him.

“Of course, a conversation doesn’t make miracles or put a player in great form without limitations in terms of fitness. But I believe the conversation was maybe the extra motivation he needed to be back as soon as possible and become available for the team.

“We play Europa League very soon and we’re playing a couple of Premier League matches every week. We have the FA Cup – I don’t believe he’ll be on time for that one.

“We have a final to play in April. So we need a good Dele back and I believe that when he’s physically ready, he’ll be in a good place mentally to go for it.”

Mourinho has revealed that Serge Aurier will return to the squad having been left out at Brighton following rumours of a dressing-room spat at half-time of the Liverpool defeat.

Giovani Lo Celso and Sergio Reguilon are both absent for the visit of Mourinho’s former club Chelsea, who have Thomas Tuchel at the helm for just the third game.

The German has never managed in the Premier League before, but Mourinho says he is a good fit for the Stamford Bridge club.

“Chelsea is Chelsea. They changed the coach but they did not change the players,” he said. “There are lots of very good players, lots of potential in that squad.

“They had a good coach with Frank (Lampard), who was doing a good job with them, they have a good coach now with Tuchel.

“He was coming from a league that you cannot compare with the Premier League but he is used to working with players of high calibre, used to dressing rooms with important players. He will fit well in a club like Chelsea.”