‘No flap at winless Magpies’

outside of the pitch too. You cannot bring 25 players. You can only play 11, with seven on the bench. That is the reason.”

Hugo Lloris and Dele Alli are still out injured for Tottenham’s opener but Pochettino added: “I never punish players because you win and lose. The plan is to leave them and use different players.

“There’s nothing behind it. Only that we will play with different players. We believe the best decision is to play with different players.” AYOZE PEREZ said it is too early to start worrying at winless Newcastle but admitted that the mood “could be better”.

The striker insists that there is no panic at second-bottom Toon after four Premier League defeats and one goalless draw so far this term.

The Magpies also lost against Championship team Nottingham Forest in the League Cup and Perez said his side need to kickstart their campaign on Saturday at Crystal Palace.

Perez said: “The mood? It could be better, but we have to keep going and to do more than we are.

“It’s way too early to be worried. It’s September and there is still a long way until the finish.

“One of the most difficult things in football is to keep at a good level when you know you’re on a bad run. You cannot give up.

“We know that we have got a lot of work to do and also a lot of improvements to make.”