Mauricio Pochettino has warned a full-strength Tottenham side could yet have a say in the Premier League title race come May.
Spurs have exceeded expectations to remain in pursuit of Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the table, despite being without Harry Kane and Dele Alli for the best part of six weeks.
Four consecutive victories in all competitions have moved Spurs to within five points of the top two, while their emphatic 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund has put one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Pochettino believes if Tottenham can remain in contention until the business end of the season, the return of their best players may prove decisive in the race for silverware.
“I am so happy and feel so proud of my squad,” he told Sky Sports. “From the beginning of the season no one believed we could repeat last season.
“[But] we are where we are because we deserve to be there. We’ve competed very well in the last few months, got the results we wanted and kept a very good position in the table while being involved in the Champions League.
“With all the things [that have been] against us we were fighting, and we are going to fight in the future to be in a very good position and try to win.
“But, of course, the moment we have the whole squad available we are going to be stronger than before.
“We will see, if we are able to arrive in the last few months in a good position, that is the moment to push and to achieve the things that we want.”
Top scorer Kane is in contention to return for Saturday’s trip Burnley, live on Sky Sports Premier League, after missing Spurs’ last seven games with an ankle injury.
Pochettino has stressed the collective is more important than the individual but has described Kane’s return as “massive motivation” for his squad.
“Football is a collective sport and the squad is the most important,” he added. “But the name of Harry Kane is so important and its massive motivation having him available to play.
“Maybe we needed one training session more but [Harry] is doing very well. There’s a high percentage that he will be involved on Saturday.
“It’s so important for us to recover him, his is an important player for us ahead of a busy period. To have Harry Kane back is so important.”