Tottenham Hotspur will reportedly be without Mousa Dembele for their Premier League clash with Newcastle on Wednesday.
Tottenham have two games left to try and wrestle third place in the Premier League back from Liverpool, starting with their clash against Newcastle at Wembley on Wednesday.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are one point behind the Reds but have played a game less, so beating the Magpies and then Leicester City on the final day would see Spurs move up one spot before the campaign concludes. But they will have to play the Newcastle game, at least, without Mousa Dembele in their ranks.
The London Evening Standard reports that a twisted ankle has ruled the Belgian out of Wednesday’s clash, and that begs the question therefore, has Dembele potentially already played his final game for Tottenham?
The report from the London Evening Standard adds that Dembele, along with teammate Toby Alderweireld, is likely to leave the club at the end of the season so he may be hoping, if he is indeed leaving in the summer, to have one final chance to get out onto the pitch to say a goodbye to the Spurs fans.
However, if the 30-year-old is not fit for Wednesday, there is perhaps a good chance that he will not be fully fit for Sunday’s home game against the Foxes, and Pochettino may decide not to recall him to the starting lineup, thus leaving the former Fulham star to rely on a potential cameo appearance off the bench at some stage.
Of course, if Dembele proves his fitness in time, he should play on the final day with Tottenham definitely going into the weekend with something to fight for – they could also finish as low as fifth if results go against them. But if he is not ready, there may well be too much to play for for Pochettino to show a romantic side and make a gesture that sees Dembele given the chance to play for Spurs one more time.
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