Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is unsure whether Kieran Trippier will be fit to report for England duty, but says the injury sustained at Crystal Palace is not serious.
The right-back went off in the first half of Spurs’ 1-0 win at Selhurst Park on Saturday night with a groin problem and is doubtful for the Three Lions games with the United States and Croatia.
Trippier is now the ninth Spurs player who went to the World Cup to have suffered an injury this season, along with Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Mousa Demble, and Davinson Sanchez.
Pochettino said: “I hope it is not a big issue. I don’t know.
“The medical staff is going to assess and then the medical staff of England is going to assess whether he will be involved or not. It is a groin injury.”
Spurs won a scrappy encounter at a sodden Selhurst Park thanks to Juan Foyth’s second-half header, sealing some impressive redemption for the defender.
Foyth, who came in for the injured Sanchez, scored his first Premier League goal seven days on from conceding two penalties in the 3-2 win at Wolves.
Juan to remember. #COYS pic.twitter.com/LX5X17AVNT — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 10, 2018
Pochettino had no doubt about throwing his fellow Argentinian back in and is expecting big things from the 20-year-old.
“I am very pleased. We were talking a lot during the week that that is football and that can happen,” Pochettino said of Foyth’s indiscretions at Molineux.
“When you are a centre-back you are involved in this type of situation but the confidence and the trust is massive from us.
“There is no doubt his potential and quality will be very helpful for the club. I am happy for him, it is a massive victory and it is good for him to feel he is a Premier League player.
“He helped the team to win and it is a fantastic moment for him. He is so clever, he has a lot of potential. I have no doubt he only needs time and games to improve and show his real quality.”
London derby winners! 💪🏼 Incredible away support! 👏🏼 #COYS #THFC pic.twitter.com/l02DL5WYr4 — Alderweireld Toby (@AlderweireldTob) November 10, 2018
Palace are now seven Premier League games without a win, but had chances to get something out of the game, none better than Alexander Sorloth’s late effort which was saved by Lloris.
Boss Roy Hodgson, who was robbed of Wilfried Zaha to injury, has seen his team impress against Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs, yet come away with just one point.
And the defeat to Spurs was tough for him to take.
He moaned: “It is very hard when a team does so many good things in terms of their tactical approach, work rate and determination, yet end up losing the game 1-0. There are no words which alter the situation.
“You could cut your work short by quoting everything I said against Chelsea and Arsenal because it is the same situation.
“In each of the three performances the team has done very well. But that is not going to stop people countering with the fact we lost and haven’t scored.
“That is also not going to stop people countering that, ‘Wilfried Zaha didn’t play, that’s why you lost’. I know that’s not true, anyone who watched the game will also know that’s not true.
“But the fact is we have not won a game without Wilf for god knows how long and this is another one to add to the list.”
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