FOOTBALL: Poyet joy as op reveals he'll be back in a month.

SPURS' midfielder Gus Poyet last night insisted he hopes to be back within a month - just days after fearing his knee injury could threaten his career.

Veteran Poyet, 34, has undergone keyhole surgery and specialists assured him there was no damage to his cruciate ligament.

Poyet is now hoping to return to training next week to give Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle a huge boost after he lost full-back Steve Carr for up to two months with a badly torn hamstring.

Poyet said: "No cruciate, no medial ligament, no nothing!

"I had the operation to repair the piece of cartilage that was blocking my knee, especially with stretching. It was clear in there and apart from that everything is fine.

"The bad feelings in my head went away, so now I'm feeling confident again and just thinking about the recovery.

"I'm so pleased because there were too many things going around, also in my head. It doesn't matter if you're 20 or 34 - all you want to do is play football.

"Next week I will start running a little bit and every day a little bit more.

"With this kind of injury, after 10 days it is already healed and you don't have to wait two months.

"I know a player in Spain who played just nine days after one of these operations but we are all different. Normally, people say to you four to six weeks."

Meanwhile, boss Glenn Hoddle has signed Brazilian midfielder Diego Bortolozzo on a free transfer after he impressed in a trial.

Bortolozzo was born in Brazil but holds an Italian passport.

The 19-year-old had spells with Estrela Do Norte in Brazil and Italian side Treviso before moving to White Hart Lane.