Dele Alli Could Return for Tottenham's Clash With Southampton on Saturday

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli is nearing his return from a hamstring injury and could feature in Saturday's trip to Southampton.

Alli has not been seen since late January after suffering his third hamstring strain of the season against Fulham, but recently returned to first-team training as he eyes a return to the lineup in the near future.

News of Alli's aspiration comes from the Evening Standard, who state that the England international will be assessed ahead of the trip to St Mary's Stadium.

Tottenham will certainly be eager to welcome Alli back, having been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup in his absence. They have also fallen ten points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, and they face a tough battle to secure a top-four finish.

However, Mauricio Pochettino will not want to rush the 22-year-old back and risk aggravating his injury, given his season has been plagued by hamstring troubles.

Alli missed the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in September with a similar issue, and he managed just 12 minutes of football on his return before complaining of yet another hamstring injury.

His latest injury has kept Alli out of Tottenham's last ten matches, during which Pochettino's side have fallen to frustrating defeats against the likes of Burnley and Chelsea. However, despite Alli's absence, the side managed to advance in the Champions League, which may prove to be their best chance at winning a trophy this season.

With Alli unavailable, the likes of Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks have been afforded plenty of chances to impress but, with Winks struggling with his own injury, Alli's return to fitness has come at a great time for the club.

Should he manage to feature against Southampton, Alli may find himself in contention for Gareth Southgate's England squad. The Three Lions are set to face both the Czech Republic and Montenegro in late March in crucial European Championship qualifiers, and Alli would certainly be a welcome addition to the side.