Tottenham’s Dele Alli Could Miss West Ham Clash

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 06 : Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at White Hart Lane on February 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 06 : Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at White Hart Lane on February 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Dele Alli recently suffered a knock on his ankle and could be held out of Tottenham’s upcoming match against West Ham United on Wednesday.

With tomorrow’s game one of the biggest in Tottenham’s season, when Spurs travel to Upton Park to face West Ham, Mauricio Pochettino has to decide whether Dele Alli will be able to play following a fitness test, according to The Guardian.

No decision has been made but whatever the outcome will be, this will decide how close of a match it will become if Dele Alli is or isn’t fit to play. Assuming that Alli is ready to go, but not fully healthy, then Tottenham should be instilled as slight favorites.

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“Dele had a problem before the Swansea game and he suffered during it,” Mauricio Pochettino said. “We have to decide. I cannot say nothing. We have to assess him. Mousa is nearly back. Maybe, [it will be] the next game for him. Also, Tom Carroll is back in the squad for West Ham.”

The easiest choice for Pochettino to make is of course to start Dele Alli if he’s able to play. Seeing as how the 19-year-old managed to play 90 minutes against Swansea City over the weekend on a bad ankle that he suffered during pre-game warm-ups.

It wasn’t until the Swansea game ended that the 19-year-old midfielder showed the effects of his ankle injury. As he was seen walking around with a heavy limp. Perhaps during the entire match, Alli was playing on adrenaline and didn’t feel anything.

But of course, starting Dele Alli could potentially backfire and hurt Tottenham’s season with severe consequences since he’s technically not fully healthy.

Because Alli only got two days to recover before facing West Ham United, on a terrible playing surface at Upton Park that even Mauricio Pochettino isn’t too fond of. There’s a chance Dele Alli could suffer a major injury on a bad ankle.

And because getting three points is vital, the Argentine manager has to find that perfect balance of when to rest a key player but still get a much-needed win.

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“You cannot split the emotion. It’s not only three points. It means a lot more than three points,” Pochettino added. “Every derby like West Ham or Arsenal, they are more important for our supporters and we feel the same as them.”

“Conditions will be difficult because the pitch is not so good and that can affect us more than them. We need to be strong. If you want to achieve big things, we need to show we are better.”

Let’s say Dele Alli is held out for precautionary reasons and with Mousa Dembé not set to return until Saturday against Arsenal, with Ryan Mason healthy, he could play alongside Eric Dier once again to alleviate a potential loss of Alli at central midfield.

And then there’s Christian Eriksen who was magnificent against Swansea City as the central attacking midfielder. Not to mention having Tom Carroll back in contention. So basically, Tottenham can afford to give Alli some rest and make sure he’s 100 percent.

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Out of all the possible injuries, a Dele Alli injury is something that Tottenham can’t afford considering how much the 19-year-old England international has meant to Spurs this season. So it’s imperative that whatever Alli’s fitness test says, he either plays (but not the whole match) or recovers for another big game on the weekend.