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Report dashes hopes of Tottenham fans as Pochettino makes tough decision over senior star
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is set to leave Jan Vertonghen out of the club’s clash with Huddersfield in the hope that he recovers for the Champions League clash against Juventus next week, according to a report.
The London Evening Standard claim on their website that despite the Belgian centre back having been confirmed to have returned to training, his fitness is touch and go and there is still a chance the senior star could miss both the clash against the Terriers and their home tie against Juve.
Fans were delighted on social media to see the 30-year-old back on the training pitch after his ankle injury, which has kept him out of action for the last two games, but this latest report will have dashed their hopes of seeing the defender make an immediate return to action.
It is said that Pochettino is still wondering whether to risk him in Saturday’s clash, having chosen to play Eric Dier alongside Davinson Sanchez in his absence.
Football Insider verdict
If Vertonghen is not fully fit, then there is no reason why Pochettino should risk him against Huddersfield, a match in which Dier and Sanchez should be more than capable in handling. The 30-year-old is a natural leader and brilliant defender, which is why they need him for their big games, and letting him miss one game against a distinctly average Premier League side is worth it if he is fully fit to take on Juventus in a crunch European encounter. Still, the Belgian will be desperate to get back to playing, and maybe leaving him on the bench with the possibility of some minutes later on in the game would be a way of easing him back into action ahead of the showdown at Wembley.
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In other Tottenham news, the club have agreed terms to sign up a midfielder in a deal which Daniel Levy shook hands on two months ago.
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