Ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Barcelona, Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Tottenham’s attacking midfielder Dele Alli will not play any part in the crucial clash.
Alli, who joined Spurs in 2015 from MK Dons, missed two matches earlier this season after picking up a hamstring injury with England.
He has suffered a similar sort of injury during last Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Watford, and as a result, missed Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League win at Huddersfield.
When asked whether Alli will be fit to face Barcelona, Pochettino said as quoted by ESPN:
“No, no. I don’t know [how long he’ll be out for] because he re-injured the same muscle that he got with England against Spain. It is now so important to be relaxed and calm.”
The 22-year-old is a key player for Spurs and his absence will be a massive blow for Pochettino’s side.
Spurs lost 2-1 against Inter Milan at San Siro in their opening Champions League game and they will be looking to get a positive result against the La Liga giants at home.
The north London club are also sweating on the fitnesses of Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele. Both the players suffered injuries in their last game, and will be assessed in the next 48 hours.
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