Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that there is a chance of Dele Alli playing against Southampton on Wednesday.
It had been reported that Alli was a major doubt for the game, but Mourinho has now allayed those fears by claiming that the injury is not as bad as they initially thought.
Alli is now fighting to be fit for the FA Cup replay, with the winner earning a fifth-round game at home to Norwich.
Speaking to The Evening Standard, Mourinho said:
It’s not as bad (as was feared) so there is a chance of him playing tomorrow. Let’s wait and see, but there is a chance.
READ SOUTHAMPTON VERDICT
This could be a huge boost for Tottenham if Alli is passed fit for the game. It would mean that one of their key players is available to them and able to start in midfield, giving Southampton one more threat to contend with in the final third.
Alli has produced eight goals and four assists in all competitions with Spurs this season, highlighting the impact he can have in front of goal in terms of creating and finishing. This means that he has the potential to cause Southampton a variety of problems, as he can switch up his game from dropping deep to build the play to making late runs into the box to catch defenders unaware and have a shot at goal.
Southampton, we feel, will be hoping that Mourinho opts to rest Alli and let him recover over the winter break. If he does make that decision, it could well increase Southampton’s chances of winning the game as Spurs would be losing a vital member of their starting XI.
