Alderweireld to miss Juventus 2nd leg with hamstring injury
Toby Alderweireld will miss the second leg of Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League round-of-16 meeting with Juventus as he deals with a persistent hamstring injury.
Poch says Toby Alderweireld won’t be ready for Juventus. Jan Vertonghen should be available for tomorrow though.
— Alasdair Gold (@AlasdairGold) March 2, 2018
The Belgian defender has featured in just two matches since early November – completing the full 90 minutes against Newport County and Rochdale in the FA Cup – and rumours abound that he is in manager Mauricio Pochettino’s bad books while he refuses to sign a new contract.
Related – Pochettino: ‘Not my job’ to negotiate Alderweireld contract
When Alderweireld didn’t travel for the 2-2 draw in Turin for the first leg, Pochettino opted for Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez in the middle of a back-four, with Serge Aurier and Ben Davies on either side. The midfield drew most plaudits in that fixture, but Vertonghen notably hoofed five clearances, performed three interceptions, and retained possession better than any of his defensive colleagues.
Before Wednesday’s second leg against Juventus, Spurs welcome Huddersfield Town to Wembley on Saturday.
