Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino reveals why Jan Vertonghen was dropped
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that he has absolutely no issues with Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen. The centre back was left out of the matchday squad on Saturday’s fixture against Aston Villa with Spurs starting their campaign with a victory at their new stadium.
Tottenham played their first game against Aston Villa and started with a defensive pairing of Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld as centre-back. It was a surprise given that the usually reliable Jan Vertonghen was fully fit, with the Belgian a key figure. However, the fact that he did miss out on the opening fixture was a big question mark even though he was well-rested and completely fit, with Sanchez struggling to do well.
"With all the players fit you struggle to find a starting XI. This is my sixth season, I think everyone knows me. I am going to play the players who I believe deserve to play. There is not any issue, only my decision was to play with Toby and Davinson. We have more than 25 players and everyone needs to understand we have plenty of good players in every position," revealed Pochettino.
The Belgium international is in the final year of his contract at Spurs, but while he and Toby Alderweireld are the club’s defensive backbone, their future at Spurs looks bleak. The 32-year-old was spotted watching the game from the stands, accompanied by new signing Ryan Sessegnon and injured teammate Dele Alli.