Dele Alli has posted on Instagram ahead of Tottenham’s Europa League first leg round of 32 showdown with Wolfsberger today, where he is pictured on a plane with youngster Dane Scarlett with the caption ‘with my lil bro’.
The 24-year-old has found game time tough this season, but after coming off the bench for Tottenham’s previous two matches, he will be hoping to earn that rare start against the Austrian side.
Jose Mourinho shared before the game that he will start his strongest side possible, but he made it clear that Spurs have played two games in a short space of time last week, including 120 minutes in the FA Cup.
But will Alli get his chance tonight?
You never know where Alli’s situation with Mourinho, and Mourinho’s relationship with Alli, is at because one minute it’s looking like his minutes are increasing.
And then he’s nowhere to be seen in the matchday squad for weeks.
Nonetheless, here is the attack-minded midfielder pictured with and bigging up youngster Dane Scarlett on his Instagram.
Albeit in stoppage-time, Mourinho did hand Scarlett his Premier League debut when he came off the bench during his side’s win against West Brom earlier this month.
But he did get a taste of first-team football before that when he played eight minutes against Ludogorets in the Europa League in November.
Whilst the highly-rated attacker is on the plane to Budapest, it will be interesting to see if Mourinho uses him today.
But given the nature of the game, and the fact that Spurs simply cannot afford to slip-up, he may find that he is an unused substitute against the Austrian side unless Mourinho’s men smash it out of the park within the first hour.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
