Tottenham’s Alderweireld, Vertonghen out of Rochdale game

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR will be without injured defenders Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen for tonight’s FA Cup fifthround replay against Rochdale.

Belgium international Alderweireld has not recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in training last week and compatriot Vertonghen has an ankle problem.

Both players missed the 1-0 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday and Alderweireld has made only two FA Cup appearances since injuring his hamstring in November.

“Always you want all the players fit and available to be selected but that is why we are an amazing squad,” manager Mauricio Pochettino told reporters yesterday.

“But if something happens like in the last week with Jan or with Toby, who for nearly four months now has been out, of course, you need the squad. We are ready to compete.”

Rochdale, bottom of League One, secured a replay at Wembley with a 2-2 draw at home and are the lowest-ranked club in the sixth-round draw.

Pochettino will make changes keeping in mind Saturday’s Premier League trip to Huddersfield Town.

“We are going to rotate some players to give (them) the possibility to play. They are in a good level and then we are going to play again on Saturday – a short period to recover for a Premier League game – and then the Champions League,” he said.

Meanwhile, Spurs striker Harry Kane must eventually leave the Premier League club if he wants to win trophies, former manager Andres Villas-Boas has said.

Kane, won the league’s Golden Boot award for the last two seasons and is chasing a third as he sits atop the charts with 24 goals in 27 matches.

“If he has a hunger for trophies and for notoriety he would have to leave Spurs, if he has no hunger for that, but (wants) recognition and stability, he would stay at Spurs,” Villas-Boas, who managed Tottenham from 2012 until December 2013, told British media.

“Spurs are in that breakout moment of becoming a great football team – the (new) stadium, infrastructure, training ground is there, the team is building up, very well managed.

“The trophy cabinet is still what is missing for this great club. That is in the end what footballers chase – glory, winning. I think for Harry, one or two more years at Spurs wouldn’t be bad and then see how the club develops...”

Tottenham have finished in the league’s top-three positions in the last two seasons, but are yet to win any silverware since their League Cup triumph in 2008.

The Portuguese also said that he was not the best coach for the 24-year-old during his reign at Tottenham, saying that Kane was sent out on loan or used sparingly in the league and Europa League as Roberto Soldado was chosen to play in most matches.

“His real breakthrough came with Tim Sherwood a few months after I left (but) I had good, fond memories of him,” Villas-Boas said.

“Of course, I was surprised at how well it turned out for him and the striker he has become – so powerful, a record-breaking striker. I attribute this to his own merit, (he is a) really well-driven individual and I’m glad for him that he has been able to turn it around.”

Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier has defended teammate Dele Alli after he was criticised for diving in Sunday’s victory over Crystal Palace.

“Obviously, because it’s Dele, it probably gets more attention than it deserves,” Dier said. – Reuters