Younes Kaboul, Sandro fit enough for Asia trip

I think it's safe to say that this is the best news we've heard all summer out of the Tottenham Hotspur camp. Yes, even better news than signing Paulinho. Younes Kaboul has returned to full training, while Sandro's recovery has gone even better than expected.

In a news post on the official club website, Andre Villas-Boas praised both players for their recovery and said that he expects both to join the club for their preseason games in Hong Kong. Sandro could return to training as early as next week.

"It's a very good start to pre-season for both players. It's great for Younes after a year out to come back to training and have double sessions with no problems. Sandro hit six months last week and we are on plan, he's made an excellent recovery and we're very happy with him. One more week and he'll join the group and he will also join us for full training in Hong Kong."

There was no bigger blow to Spurs' chances of finishing in the top four than Sandro's injury last season, and Tottenham probably could have finished above Arsenal without him had Kaboul been available for games that William Gallas and Steven Caulker started. If these two are fully fit come the season opener, which is looking increasingly likely, it'll be like making two new blockbuster signings for Spurs.

I expected Sandro to return to the pitch sometime in August and come along slowly based on previous reports about his fitness, but he might play a part right away, even if he's not starting and ready to go 90 minutes until sometime in September. This is just spectacular news. Group hug, everyone.