Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte said Son Heung-min still has some way to go to regain his best form but is confident the South Korea star can hit the heights again this season.
The forward has scored five goals for Spurs this term, but they came in just two games.
And that means he has failed to score in 19 club fixtures during the current campaign.
Son suffered a facial fracture ahead of the World Cup and while he featured at Qatar 2022, he did not score a goal at the showpiece tournament.
It’s all a far cry from the impressive form that saw Son finish last season as the joint winner of the Premier League’s Golden Boot award.
Spurs boss Conte was in no doubt of the importance of a rejuvenated Son to his club’s prospects ahead of their London derby away to Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
Tottenham will be looking to recover from a 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa that left them fifth in the table, 13 points behind leaders and arch-rivals Arsenal.
“Son for sure is trying to find the best form,” said Conte. “After the injury he had against Marseille he struggled a bit and also in the World Cup he didn’t score.
“But we are talking about a player that if we put him in this discussion we are in trouble, because Sonny and Kane are the two most important players with Hugo Lloris.”
The Italian added: “If we start to have doubts about them, then I think we are really in trouble.
“For sure a team like us we need in every game, injuries or not injuries, the most important players to give their best, but you know across a season in 60 games that you can’t play every game at the peak.
“But for sure we are talking about three players in Sonny, Kane and Hugo, who can make the difference. Our expectations are always very high for them. I think their commitment, their will, their desire is always the same. They know the role they have in the squad.”
