Tottenham Hotspur star Toby Alderweireld’s relationship with manager Mauricio Pochettino has been left strained after the Belgian was left out of the squad to face Juventus in the Champions League, according to the Evening Standard.
The newspaper claim that Alderweireld has been left disappointed by being left at home after declaring himself fully fit to return to playing.
The 28-year-old enforcer played 90 minutes against Newport County in the FA Cup last week, but was omitted from the squad for the win over Arsenal at the weekend, and has now been left at home as Spurs travel to Turin.
The club reportedly claim that Alderweireld’s absence is purely down to fitness reasons, saying that the defender would be better served training in London rather than sitting on the bench v Juve.
Alderweireld’s future at Spurs has been a subject of discussion this season, with the defender out of contract in the summer of 2019.
The Standard claim that Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea are interested in signing him.
OPINION
Of course Alderweireld is going to be disappointed at being left at home, with the Belgian enforcer believing himself fit to return to the fold. But this incident should not affect his relationship with Pochettino in the long-run, with the Argentine known to be close to all his players. Pochettino is also well-known to be cautious in bringing his players back from injury, as seen with Erik Lamela, Danny Rose, and Kyle Walker last season.