The Tottenham midfielder is not to be risked by the Red Devils, likely to the relief of Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele walks off to be substituted after sustaining an injury
The Belgium football team has confirmed that Tottenham Hotspur star Mousa Dembele is not to take part in Red Devils’ upcoming international matches against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Gibraltar.
The Spurs man was named in Roberto Martinez’s squad alongside Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld despite failing to return to fitness in time for last weekend’s crunch game against Manchester City, but still was called up by the ex Everton boss.
But with Dembele seemingly just short of fitness after a recent hamstring problem, the North Londoners could end up benefitting from what is a bit more time to work on getting ready for the club’s next Premier League match with West Brom on October 15.
On the whole, Dembele has sometimes struggled to replicate his impressive recent form for Spurs for his country, while the powerful and skilful midfielder is often carrying knocks into international football that doesn’t give him the chance to showcase his qualities.
When the 29-year-old is on form, make no bones about it, he is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, and as good a central midfielder as there is out there.
The former Fulham man exhibited several sensational performances in the 2015-16 campaign that are as good as anything seen at White Hart Lane in a long, long time.
But with his aforementioned injury niggles, not to mention the six-match ban he received towards the end of the season, Spurs have had to cope without Dembele’s presence.
Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele in action with Sunderland’s Didier Ndong
It is something that they’ve done with mixed success, particularly in the first few games of the campaign. No one in the Spurs squad has the skill set the Belgium international possesses when it comes to operating in the pivot, helping to shield the back four and also threatening when coming forward with his short passing and astonishing ability to keep opponents from the ball when dribbling.
The injury he received against Sunderland didn’t look like a serious one, but it has seen him miss a handful of games, and Mauricio Pochettino will likely be happy that Dembele will miss out on the international games and instead gradually work on match fitness and sharpness.
The Argentine will have been mindful that fixtures such as the away trip to minnows Gibraltar, would have been risky for a player with an injury history such as Dembele, and that his fitness for the season may benefit with skipping them.
Mousa Dembele celebrates after scoring for Tottenham against Aston Villa
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