Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that the club are facing an anxious with regards to the fitness of Jan Vertonghen and Harry Winks ahead of the north London derby against Arsenal this afternoon.
Vertonghen missed the entirety of the recent 2-0 derby defeat to Chelsea on the road, but Winks managed to play through the full 90 minutes where Spurs slumped to a second successive league loss.
In a press conference covered by Football.London, Pochettino confirmed that the duo are suffering from respective back problems and a late fitness test may determine their inclusion for the derby, he said:
“I cannot say 50-50 or a percentage. We need to assess and see if they will be available or not.”
Meanwhile, England internationals Dele Alli and Eric Dier continue to remain on the sidelines for the derby. As per Spurs’ official website, Alli is going through the final rehabilitation phase following the hamstring injury sustained earlier in the year.
Elsewhere, his compatriot Dier is building up his fitness after recovering from a bout of tonsillitis. The setback is the midfielder’s third of the campaign after previously missing action due to a thigh muscle strain and an Appendectomy prior to the turn of the year.
Tottenham are currently just four points ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League standings after back-to-back league defeats. They should still go into the game with some confidence, given the Gunners’ poor away record against the top six while they have beaten them in the past two home meetings.
