Mauricio Pochettino admits Harry Winks’ ankle problem has become a concern, but he has reassured Toby Alderweireld that he is likely to get a game before the end of the season.
Winks suffered an ankle injury against Crystal Palace in early November and has struggled ever since. He initially tried to play through the pain but has now been sidelined since February.
Pochettino stated last week that surgery was not being considered, but the 22-year-old midfielder has headed to Aspetar in Qatar this week – a leading specialised orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital.
Asked whether Winks’ injury is now becoming more of a worry, Pochettino said: “Yes, I think yes. He’s in Qatar doing his rehab. We’ll see what happens.
“We hope after that period he can come back, fixing his problem, and try to again stay in the group training. But of course we are a little bit concerned about his situation and we’re trying to fix his problem.
“Will he play again this season? We’ll see. It’s impossible now to say or guess what’s going to happen. Like always, it’s about how he’s going to react to the treatment and everything.
“When you’re young, it’s more difficult to handle [these situations] in your brain, in your mind, but we’re all trying – the staff, the people - to help him to fix his problem and again start to enjoy playing football, which is all the players want to do.”
While Winks may have played his last match this season, Pochettino expects Alderweireld to make an appearance before the end of the campaign.
The Belgian centre-back is yet to sign a new contract and may be sold this summer to ensure Spurs get the best possible deal for a highly-rated player who could leave for £25million in the summer of 2019.
Although he is fit and available, Alderweireld has been overlooked recently and has not even been named on the bench for the last two matches, fuelling speculation that Tottenham are preparing for life without him.
But Pochettino said: “I think we make a drama sometimes for small things. After 14 games unbeaten there’s no point talking about a player that did not play and was injured for a long time.
“But if you want to, Toby is still our player, with a two-year contract. I’m sure he’s going to play [before] the end of the season. He’s doing well, he’s training and he only needs to wait for his opportunity.”
