Tottenham star included in the squad for the first time since trimming his weight

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed Richarlison's return to the squad for the first time since the Everton game, revealing that the Brazilian used his time recovering from injury well, focusing on trimming down and working on his fitness.

During the summer, Richarlison declined an offer to move to Saudi Arabia, emphasizing his ambition to succeed in North London and a desire to prove himself. However, since then, he has only managed 25 minutes of Premier League action. An unspecified injury kept him out of matches against Arsenal, Brentford, and Manchester United, but he may feature as a substitute today. Postecoglou noted that Richarlison made good use of his time on the sidelines.

He told reporters: "We've taken our time with him, but it hasn't been just about him recuperating and recovering from the injury. We've tried to use it to build his fitness base up... To be fair to him, he's worked awfully hard. He has trimmed down, he looks really lean now and has worked really hard."

Postecoglou added that the time was used almost as a personal pre-season for Richarlison, ensuring he returns in top physical condition to avoid a cycle of setbacks: "He probably recovered from his injury a couple of weeks ago, but we've used the last couple of weeks to build up his fitness... He's had a good week of training and has missed playing. He is a really infectious guy, so it’s good to have him back with the group."

Richarlison is rejoining a team that has signed Dominic Solanke as the lead striker. However, with the Brazilian's ability to play both through the middle and out wide, there is certainly room for him in the squad if he finds his form.

The Lilywhites still need to build consistency, especially after their frustrating defeat to Brighton at the Amex before the international break. Despite taking an early 2-0 lead, a second-half collapse saw them leave Sussex empty-handed.