Alderweireld still has a future at Tottenham
Toby Alderweireld won’t be a part of Tottenham’s trip to Turin to take on Juventus, but that doesn’t mean he’s destined to leave Spurs this summer. Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to leave the defender in London is consistent with the way he always managers players as they return from injury absences.
The Telegraph is the principal English source trying to tie Alderweireld’s omission from Tottenham’s upcoming Champions League squad to a summer move away from Pochettino’s squad. While it is a little bit surprising that he won’t be making the trip, it’s not a sign of sure disaster.
The truth of the matter is that Pochettino is typically very conservative when it comes to reintegrating injured players back into the squad. One need only look at the recent returns of Danny Rose and Erik Lamela as clear evidence that he doesn’t rush players back into the fire immediately.
Pochettino has gone on record numerous times with his belief that players must return to full match fitness before returning to their previous place in the squad. The fact that Alderweireld managed 90 minutes in the FA Cup match against Newport County was a positive step forward for the Belgian defender. It does not, however, mean he’s ready to take the journey to Italy to take on Serie A’s top side.
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The Spurs coaching staff has a mountain of data about just how far along Alderweireld is in his recovery. They know more than the player himself about how his body is recovering. As such, no one should be surprised that Pochettino and Alderweireld might disagree about the defender’s physical status. Alderweireld understandably wants to return to the starting XI immediately. Pochettino is entrusted to make sure the Belgian is fit and firing over the long haul.
Tottenham are fortunate to have enough defensive depth to leave Alderweireld at home. If he were fully fit, of course he’d be in the starting XI at Juventus. At his diminished capacity, Spurs can feel comfortable with the ability of Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez to pick up the slack. That pairing has managed to protect keeper Hugo Lloris quite well in Alderweireld’s absence.
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Toby Alderweireld may leave Tottenham this summer, but his lack of involvement this week against Juventus isn’t a clear sign that sort of transfer is on the horizon. Spurs fans have every right to be concerned with the slow pace of his contract talks, but Pochettino’s recent decision to leave him out against the Old Lady shouldn’t set off any alarm bells.