Pochettino unwilling to risk Alli fitness
Dele Alli may have returned to Tottenham training on Thursday, but Mauricio Pochettino will not rush him back into action against Brighton.
Published : Sep 20, 2018 19:13 IST
Mauricio Pochettino will not rush Dele Alli back into first-team action this weekend despite the England midfielder returning to training on Thursday.
Alli missed Spurs' defeats to Liverpool and Inter after sustaining a hamstring injury during the international break.
The 2-1 reverse at San Siro on Tuesday was a third successive defeat for Tottenham in all competitions, but Pochettino is not prepared to risk Alli's long-term fitness just to try to end its miserable run.
"We still we need to wait until tomorrow [Friday] to assess whether he will be part of the squad," he told a media conference on Thursday, ahead of this weekend's trip to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.
READ: Gazidis leaves Arsenal in good shape, insists Emery
"Today was a recovery day for everyone, it's difficult to assess him to see if he is ready or not to play. [On Friday] we will see if it is possible for him to help the team or if we need to wait a few days more to involve him in the competition."
"We are never going to put ourselves or our interests in front of taking risks for a player. It's impossible. We are never going to take a risk and put a player in because we need to win. The most important thing is getting players on the pitch, but we need to feel they are 100 per cent."
"Football is a sport [in which] you always assume the risk, but if you are conscious to take a risk it is impossible for us to take that decision."
Moussa Sissoko is also back in training for Spurs after a similar injury, but goalkeeper Hugo Lloris remains sidelined with a thigh issue.