OPINION
Tottenham have had their fair share of rough luck when it comes to injury this season.
Around the start of the year they were looking particularly depleted, with key figures Harry Kane and Dele Alli both winding up in the treatment room in the space of a week or so.
Without their talismanic duo, Spurs were expected to struggle, but actually put in a decent run of results that only came crashing to an end, surprisingly, with the return of Harry Kane to the starting line up.
Now, nobody in their right mind would suggest that Kane was the cause of that defeat, nor would they suggest that it was the wrong decision to bring him back against Sean Dyche’s side.
But where Alli is concerned, things might be different.
The England international could be in contention for a starting spot against Southampton this weekend, according to the Evening Standard, but Pochettino must not rush him back.
Coming off the back of an incredible 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund, Spurs are arguably in the highest spirits they have been for some time, and Pochettino must resist the urge to tinker too much with his side.
Despite Alli being one of his squad’s most valuable assets, the Argentine must fight his instincts to immediately bring his midfielder back into the side.
Obviously, he will deserve a starting spot at some point, but right now, the north London club need to ride the wave from their latest success for as long as possible, and fiddling with a successful attacking unit is not the way to do that.