Redknapp: This is the player who must come into disappointing Tottenham team

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Published on:

27 Aug 2016, 9:19 am

By Tony Hughes

Jamie Redknapp has urged Tottenham to recall Mousa Dembele to the starting X1 as his suspension ends.

The Belgium international has been unavailable for the London club's opening three matches of the Premier League season as he completes a six-match ban carried on from last season.

Dembele still has one more match to miss before he is next available for league selection, which will be the home clash against Sunderland on 18 September.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino has selected Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier as his central midfield pairing in all three 2016-17 league games to date but they have not yet gelled in the same way as the Englishman and Dembele did last season.

Tottenham came from behind to draw 1-1 against Liverpool on Saturday but were outplayed for much of the match and struggled to cope with the visiting side's dangerous counter-attacks.

"I think Pochettino will be the happier of the two managers as Spurs were below their best and disappointing," former Liverpool and Spurs midfielder Redknapp told Sky Sports' live coverage of the match at the end. "What it shows us is how much they miss Mousa Dembele, a midfield player who was controlling games for them last season.

"They've missed his authority, the way he plays, he gets Spurs ticking and is a big miss."

Dembele will not be available for Tottenham's next league encounter against Stoke after the international break but can play in their Champions League opener against Monaco on 14 September.

In other Tottenham news, their imminent new signing trains with the first-team squad.

Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool FC

Moussa Dembele