No operation for Dembele

Mousa Dembele will not have an operation on his injured hip and could return for Tottenham's north London derby against Arsenal, manager Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed.

Dembele has become a big hit with Spurs fans for his excellent performances in midfield, but the Londoners have had to do without the Belgian for the last five games after he aggravated an old hip injury while on international duty.

Villas-Boas said last Thursday he feared the 25-year-old could have to go under the knife to cure the problem - something which would have ruled him out for up to six weeks.

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