Mauricio Pochettino says Jan Vertonghen will have to ‘work hard’ to win back his place in the Tottenham team after missing the 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Belgian centre-half, 32, was a surprising omission from Pochettino’s match-day squad at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Both the manager and the defender - who has entered the final year of his contract - confirmed he was not carrying an injury.
Asked about Vertonghen’s omission from the 18, Pochettino told Sky Sports afterwards: “I want to play the players who deserve to play, who I think to deserve to play and who are playing well.
"My decision today was to play Toby [Alderweireld]. If the players didn't play today, they need to work hard to get their opportunity.
"With all the players fit you struggle to find a starting 11.
"We have more than 25 players and everyone needs to understand we have plenty of good players in every position. We can only play with 11.
"It's always the judgement of the manager and the coaching staff. After five years I'm going to play the players who deserve to play.
"There is not any issue [with Vertonghen] but my decision today was play with Toby and Davinson [Sanchez] to provide a good balance for the team."
