Alderweireld ruled out until February by hamstring injury – Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld will be out until February with a hamstring injury.

Alderweireld sustained the injury against Real Madrid on November 1 and the Belgian is now expected to miss another eight weeks of competitive action.

It means the defender is likely to sit out crunch Premier League games against Manchester City and Manchester United but could return in February for matches against Liverpool and Arsenal.

Spurs then face Juventus in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 on February 13.

“We cannot change the reality. The reality is that he is injured and cannot play until February,” Pochettino said. “With him or without him we win and we lose. The manager always wants all the players fit like Victor Wanyama or Danny Rose and Erik Lamela before.

“You miss the players who are not fit but football is a collective sport about the team not individuals. Some players have more influence on the team. But we have squad enough and players who can play.”

Pochettino insisted Alderweireld’s absence would not push him to look for defensive additions in the January transfer window, with the Argentinian insisting he has plenty of options for cover.

Serge Aurier and Ben Davies are both capable of playing more centrally, while 19-year-old Juan Foyth could be promoted. Eric Dier is likely to continue alongside Jan Vertonghen against Brighton on Wednesday as Davinson Sanchez is serving the second part of a three-match ban.

Pochettino also addressed the bust-up that followed Manchester City’s win at Manchester United on Sunday. He said scuffles between players in the tunnel are not unusual.

“In France too they were tough, playing (for Paris St Germain) against Ajaccio at half-time I remember a massive fight in the tunnel,” Pochettino said. “You didn’t see but there was fighting between us. It was terrible. Sometimes it happens.

“Was I hurt? No, I was clever. It was tough. After you are scared a little bit because it was like we were animals fighting and you do not know what happened. I don’t know if it was similar.

“You can talk when you’re calm and relaxed, but when something happens on the pitch and you are under stress and emotion sometimes you cannot stop and it can happen.”

When Pep Guardiola branded Tottenham the ‘Harry Kane team’ in October, Pochettino reacted by saying the Spaniard “struggles to be like a gentleman” in the afterglow of victory.

“It’s different when you’re there,” Pochettino said. “In this case, I prefer to say nothing.”

As well as Alderweireld and Sanchez, Spurs will be without Victor Wanyama against Brighton as the midfielder has only just resumed light training after his knee injury.

Erik Lamela, who recently recovered from a year-long hip problem, is in contention to start.