Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that Toby Alderweireld's contract situation with the club is not why the Belgium international is currently being left on the sidelines.
Alderweireld has not played a Premier League game for Tottenham since the end of October despite the fact that he overcame a hamstring problem in the early stages of 2018.
The centre-back turned out for Belgium during the recent international break, but was left out of the squad that took on Chelsea last weekend, and is not expected to be involved against Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.
The 29-year-old will see his current deal with Tottenham expire next summer, and it is understood that he is refusing to sign the offer on the table, which has led to a host of speculation.
Pochettino, however, has denied that the contract stalemate is the reason for the defender's omission.
"I don't care about the personal situations with the club. If they show me they deserve to play, they are going to play. It is not about personal feelings or emotions. It is about providing the team with the best tools to win," Pochettino told reporters.
"I cannot consider if they have a one-year contract, six months or 10 years. When [Moussa] Sissoko arrived and he was a record signing, if he was not the best, he did not play. When Dele Alli arrived with Sonny (Son Heung-min) for the £22m we paid Bayer Leverkusen, who played? Dele Alli - the whole season.
"My decision is always about football. It is not personal and not because of a contract problem. I don't care about that. Always my decision is about what is best for the team and the best for the club."
Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have both been linked with the centre-back in recent weeks.
Matt Law
