Danny Rose is expected to return to Tottenham’s starting XI for the first time since early October in tonight’s clash against Southampton at Wembley.
Rose injured his groin in the 1-0 win over Cardiff and initially expected to be sidelined for a short period, even joining up with the England squad the following day before withdrawing.
The left-back, who missed eight months with a knee injury until October last year, has been frustrated by another slow recovery, but is ready to face Mauricio Pochettino’s former club after replacing Ben Davies for the final eight minutes of the 4-2 defeat by Arsenal on Sunday.
“We need all the players fit and at their best,” said Spurs manager Pochettino. “Ben was doing a fantastic job but we need to be competitive in every position, so maybe tonight Danny has the possibility to play.”
Pochettino is expected to make changes from the north London derby after claiming his side’s freshness was a factor in the defeat at the Emirates.
Moussa Sissoko and Serge Aurier, who, like Davies, started three games last week, can expect to drop to the bench, with Harry Winks and a fit-again Kieran Trippier likely to come in. Spurs will be without the suspended Jan Vertonghen, while Mousa Dembele, Victor Wanyama, Davinson Sanchez and Erik Lamela are sidelined through injury.
Meanwhile, Pochettino has disagreed with Eric Dier’s comments that the north London derby lost its edge in the final years of Arsene Wenger’s reign.
Spurs visit Arsenal again in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on December 18 and Pochettino said: “I don’t agree with Dier. Every single game we play against Arsenal or Chelsea, I felt it was always so tough. For me, one of the most exciting Arsenal games was when Harry Kane scored with a mask on [in a 2-2 draw in March 2016].
“Or the last one at White Hart Lane. No, maybe for him [that was the case], but for me, no. We’ve played tougher games against Arsenal in the past. Sunday was a tough game, a disappointing game in the end, but it was competitive like our other games against them.”
Pochettino also felt the Gunners should have saved their celebratory social media posts for winning a trophy, rather than a mid-season victory, but said their reaction proved Spurs were now considered a big scalp.
“Personally, I don’t like it,” he said. “Obviously, if you win a trophy, it’s a moment to celebrate. For me, I love to celebrate in private and not make it public. But when people celebrate like this, it’s because they respect you and see you as a big club.”
Meanwhile, Spurs have sparked irritation among supporters by attempting to sell tours of their new stadium before revealing when the behind-schedule ground will open.
Fans have received emails from the club offering them the chance to buy gift vouchers for a stadium tour, priced £30, which will be valid for a year from the opening date.
Spurs have committed to remaining at Wembley for the rest of 2018 but doubts remain if they will be able to move into their new 62,062-seater home for Manchester United’s visit on January 13.
