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The end of last week came and went, however, with Van de Ven and Romero missing the damaging cup defeats to Liverpool and Villa, which have left Tottenham's season entirely dependent on progress in the Europa League.
Throughout Tottenham's difficult winter, as Dragusin and Gray racked up the minutes for a sinking side, the fitness of Romero and Van de Ven has hung over the club, their returns intrinsically tied for many supporters to Spurs' hopes of salvaging the season.
The initial prognosis on both defenders was unclear, with Postecoglou denying he had taken a gamble with their fitness by starting them against the Blues and saying Romero had "a totally different injury" and that Van de Ven "didn't feel anything significant... just tightness", albeit in the same hamstring.
But when the line-ups were announced, most Spurs supporters perked up: key centre-halves Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were back in the side, raising hope that Spurs could revitalise their season with a rare win over their rivals.
Romero took part in light sessions with the squad in the two days before the Chelsea game but earlier that week, Postecoglou had suggested he may not return to full training until the start of the following week, so it was a little surprising to see Romero back in the team.
