Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that Danny Rose will be on the substitute’s bench for Tottenham in their Champions League clash against Real Madrid tomorrow night (Tuesday).
Spurs’ official Twitter account revealed that left-back Rose and midfielder Mousa Dembele have both travelled with the first team to Madrid and will train in the Spanish capital tonight.
TEAM NEWS: Danny Rose and @mousadembele have both travelled to Madrid and will train with the team tonight. pic.twitter.com/dC42fgXtnX
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 16, 2017
Manager Pochettino then explained on the flight to Madrid that Rose will not be in the starting XI but could make his much-anticipated comeback as a second-half substitute.
“I think Danny Rose will be on the bench and it’s important,” said Pochettino, as quoted on the Tottenham Twitter account. “Maybe he is not fit to play from the beginning but to help the team.”
????? More from Mauricio on our team news ahead of @realmadrid, including an update on @dele_official who has also travelled with the team. pic.twitter.com/iahyikkXAf
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 16, 2017
Rose, 27, has been sidelined with a knee injury since January and underwent an operation at the end of last season.
Dembele, 30, has been missing since the League win over Barnsley at Wembley last month because of an ankle problem.
OPINION
The returns of Rose and Dembele could prove pivotal to Spurs’ chances of taking at least a point from the Bernabeu in the team’s biggest match of the season so far. Both players are key members of the first team and would be in the strongest possible starting XI if they were fully fit. Rose will not start but he could make a big impact as a second-half cameo with his dynamism on the left flank, especially with Ben Davies out injured. Pochettino would not have taken the England international to Spain if he could not influence the mouthwatering clash.