Mauricio Pochettino: 'Toby Alderweireld is in my plans'

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has said that he is "sure" Toby Alderweireld will play for the club before the end of the season.

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 has not been involved in Spurs' last two matches against Chelsea and Stoke City.

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 insisted that he would have no problems selecting the Belgian.

"I think we make a drama sometimes for small things," Pochettino told reporters. "After 14 games unbeaten there's no point talking about a player that did not play and was injured for a long time. Toby is still our player [with a] two-year contract.

"I'm sure he's going to play [before] the end of the season. He's doing well, he's training and he only needs to wait for his opportunity."

Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have both been linked with the centre-back in recent weeks.