Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino says he will not risk rushing injured England international midfielder Dele Alli back into the action.
The 22-year-old has not featured since the recent international break, sitting out the losses to Liverpool and Inter Milan due to a hamstring problem.
He is close to being in contention for a place in the Spurs squad for the visit to Brighton on Saturday, but Pochettino insists that the interests of his players will always come first when a return to the fold is under discussion.
He told reporters: "We still we need to wait until tomorrow to assess whether he will be part of the squad. Maybe we need to wait a few days more to involve him.
"We are never going to put ourselves or our interests in front of taking risks for a player. It's impossible.
"We need to feel they are 100 per cent. Football is a sport you always assume the risk, but if you are conscious to take a risk it is impossible to take that decision."
Meanwhile, Pochettino insists that he will not make major changes despite three consecutive defeats, adding: "You cannot change because you win or lose. That is the most important thing.
"If you are strong, in the end you are going to have success. If you change it is difficult to have success because you cannot work day by day."
Tottenham are 8/11 to win at Brighton on Saturday, with Harry Kane 8/11 to score at any time, while the Londoners are 5/6 to secure a top-four finish come the end of the season.
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Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino says he will not risk rushing injured England international midfielder Dele Alli back into the action.
The 22-year-old has not featured since the recent international break, sitting out the losses to Liverpool and Inter Milan due to a hamstring problem.
He is close to being in contention for a place in the Spurs squad for the visit to Brighton on Saturday, but Pochettino insists that the interests of his players will always come first when a return to the fold is under discussion.
He told reporters: "We still we need to wait until tomorrow to assess whether he will be part of the squad. Maybe we need to wait a few days more to involve him.
"We are never going to put ourselves or our interests in front of taking risks for a player. It's impossible.
"We need to feel they are 100 per cent. Football is a sport you always assume the risk, but if you are conscious to take a risk it is impossible to take that decision."
Meanwhile, Pochettino insists that he will not make major changes despite three consecutive defeats, adding: "You cannot change because you win or lose. That is the most important thing.
"If you are strong, in the end you are going to have success. If you change it is difficult to have success because you cannot work day by day."
Tottenham are 8/11 to win at Brighton on Saturday, with Harry Kane 8/11 to score at any time, while the Londoners are 5/6 to secure a top-four finish come the end of the season.
View all Soccer betting
Source: bet365.com