Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino provides injury updates on England trio Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Harry Winks
The Spurs manager has a minor injury crisis on his hands, with the club's next match after the international break against north London rivals Arsenal
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Your support makes all the difference.Dele Alli will miss England’s friendlies against Germany and Brazil with a hamstring problem while Tottenham team-mate Harry Winks will be assessed tonight before joining up with the squad.
Alli missed Spurs’ 1-0 defeat of Crystal Palace this afternoon and will not be risked for the two England games next week, leaving Mauricio Pochettino hoping that he will be fit for Spurs’ next game: the north London derby at the Emirates on 18 November.
“After Manchester United [on 28 October] he was feeling his tendon in the posterior muscle, close to the hamstring, and he then played 90 minutes against Real Madrid,” Pochettino said.
“It is a very, very small thing, but it was a risk to play. We think he will be ready for us against Arsenal, we hope so.” Alli now has 13 days to recover before the derby.
Winks will be assessed by Spurs and England’s medical staff before deciding whether he can be involved in the two friendlies. He was taken off at half-time after turning his ankle in a clash with Luka Milivojevic in the first half here. “He twisted his ankle in the first half,” Pochettino explained.
“It is a bit painful now. We must assess him, of course our medical staff and the national team medical staff. Harry is so excited to be the with national team and I am sure he is going to make them. The medical staff will assess the player and take the best decision.”
Harry Kane was taken off at the end but Pochettino said it was just to protect him and that should be fully fit for the two England games. “The last game against Real Madrid was such an emotional game,” Pochettino explained. “It is better to avoid risk. He’s ok, I am sure he is going to make the national team.”
Pochettino urged all national teams to show some understanding over his players’ workloads in the coming days. “For national teams, I understand what they want, what they need,” Pochettino said.
“The different countries should understand the situations of the players, that will help them to be fit for the next period here. It will be very tough, the Christmas period is so tough for players. We have very good communication, and relationships with the national teams, we explain the situations and everyone and try to manage in a very good way.”
Pochettino accepted that his team did not play well against a spririted Palace side in their 1-0 win. “We knew after Real Madrid on Wednesday it would be a massive challenge for us to be ready again and fresh,” he said, “but I am very pleased. The effort was fantastic, it wasn’t the best performance, but the team was very professional and we fought.”
Roy Hodgson said that he was pleased that Palace did not lose by more. “The confidence is fragile but when the first goal went in we could have collapsed and lose by three or four,” he said. “There are players who can punish you. That’s a positive.”
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