England manager Gareth Southgate has delivered the important update that Dele Alli should be fine to feature for Tottenham after suffering a slight muscle injury while on international duty.
The 22-year-old was sent back to north London after featuring for the Three Lions in their 2-1 defeat to Spain last week, but as quoted by the Press Association’s Simon Peach, Southgate believes that there should be no issues about him performing for his club, with a big clash against Liverpool awaiting after the international break.
Gareth Southgate expects Dele Alli to be fine for Tottenham after withdrawing from the England squad with a minor muscle strain. He's hopeful Luke Shaw will be available for Man Utd straight after mandatory seven-day concussion break
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) September 10, 2018
The Lilywhites will be hoping to bounce back from the surprise 2-1 defeat against Watford prior to the gap in fixtures, and would go level on points with the Reds if they secure a win.
Opinion
Mauricio Pochettino would have been worried at seeing Alli heading home after his injury blow but this update from his managerial counterpart should settle his nerves. The attacking midfielder might not have been at his usual best early on in the campaign but he is still a key part of the Argentine’s squad and the way Spurs operate. Will the slight niggle keep him out of the clash against Liverpool? It does not sound like it, but there could still be some risk in giving him game time in case he aggravates the issue. Will Pochettino be willing to avoid taking that gamble and throwing someone else in the deep end against a team who are expected to be battling the Lilywhites in the top four for the rest of the season? That remains to be seen – but Alli’s fitness will be an area of concern in the build up.