SPURS FEELING THE STRAIN
Alli injured on England duty and Lloris joins him on the sidelines
TOTTENHAM are frustrated a hamstring injury Dele Alli suffered on England duty has ruled him out of their home clash with Liverpool tomorrow.
The midfielder played on with the injury — which he picked up in the first half against Spain last Saturday — and is now a doubt for the Champions League opener at Inter Milan on Tuesday, too.
Tottenham are disappointed the midfielder completed the game and the club also believe Alli played with an injury at times during the World Cup.
It is another blow for Mauricio Pochettino, whose under-fire captain Hugo Lloris is out for several weeks with a thigh strain.
Pochettino said: ‘Alli is a bit unlucky. He suffered an injury after 20 minutes against Spain and we are disappointed because we’re going to miss him for this game and possibly Inter Milan, but it is not a big issue.’
Pochettino confirmed Lloris will keep the captaincy but admitted the World Cup winner was lucky there were no graver consequences after his drink-driving shame.
Goalkeeper Lloris was fined £50,000 and banned from driving for 20 months on Wednesday after being convicted for being over the alcohol limit while at the wheel of his £140,000 Porsche.
In court, embarrassing details emerged of how Lloris, while driving at only 15mph in a 30mph zone, dodged red lights and veered towards parked vehicles before being stopped by police in the early hours of August 24.
A breathalyser test at the scene found Lloris to be more than twice the drink-drive limit. There was vomit inside the car and Lloris needed to be helped from the vehicle. Yet the 31-year-old remains Tottenham’s skipper. The club have already fined the Frenchman two weeks’ wages, estimated to be worth £300,000.
Pochettino said: ‘Lloris is the first to regret everything. All that happened (in court) is not good and he does not feel great.
‘He said he was guilty and responsible. The most important thing is that everyone can make a mistake. He is suffering a punishment and also a feeling society transmits to him.
‘He is punishing himself. We are not God and cannot judge people. We can all make a mistake. It is a massive lesson for everyone.
‘He said, “Gaffer, I made a mistake. Now I need to pay like a man”. Like a man that he is, he is going to accept everything.’
When Lloris was charged last month, Pochettino stood by his goalkeeper and allowed him to wear the captain’s armband in the 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
When asked whether Lloris had offered to give up the captaincy, Pochettino said: ‘He apologised to everyone — the staff, the club, the fans, us.
‘He said, “Any decision that you take, gaffer, or the club, I think is fair”. He already knew in the moment that it was a big mistake. Of course he is lucky there was no (more serious) consequence (of his drink-driving).
‘That is important. And of course now it is a massive lesson for him, a life lesson. Because he is clever, he learns, and now he is going to move on.’
For Pochettino, Lloris’s drinkdrive conviction and Alli’s injury are the latest in a series of complications at the beginning of the season.
Tottenham’s financial commitment to building their new stadium meant the manager was unable to buy a single player in the summer transfer market.
And the club’s proposed move to the new White Hart Lane remains on hold, with a Carabao Cup fixture against Watford at the end of the month now having to be played at MK Dons’ ground. ‘I am learn-
ing a lot!’ Pochettino said. ‘You learn that today football is not only what happens on the pitch, it’s many things that happen around.
‘We need to be ready to deal with all these situations that in the end affect the result on the pitch. And, of course, it is more complicated today to be a football manager than it was 20 or 30 years ago.’
The Argentine insists he has no concerns about the form of Golden Boot winner Harry Kane, who has made a sluggish start to the season with Tottenham and England after his World Cup exertions in Russia.
The coach added: ‘We have confidence and trust in him. There is no doubt he is one of the best in England and Europe. It is only a matter of time before he shows his real quality. I am not disappointed with him. The circumstances of the summer were different and it takes time for a player to get to his best.
‘As he is such a big player, everyone expects something from every action.’