Toby Alderweireld ruled out of Tottenham vs Chelsea
Wednesday 23 November 2016 18:56, UK
Toby Alderweireld will not be fit to return to Tottenham Hotspur's side against Chelsea on Saturday.
Spurs are looking to bounce back from their Champions League elimination at the hands of AS Monaco with the Premier League trip to Stamford Bridge this weekend, but Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed they will have to do without Alderweireld.
The defender has not featured for Tottenham since the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on October 15 due to a knee injury. He was carried off on a stretcher after what was, at the time, an innocuous looking collision with team-mate Jan Vertonghen.
When asked by Sky Sports News HQ if there was any possibility that the Belgian central defender would be in contention for selection at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Spurs manager Pochettino replied "no chance."
It is expected Alderweireld will be out for at least one more week, meaning either the Premier League clash with Swansea on December 3, or the final game in the Champions League against CSKA Moscow the following Wednesday are the earliest opportunities for him to make a comeback.
In a further blow, Tottenham also have problems at left-back, with Ben Davies still sidelined through injury and Danny Rose set to serve a one-game suspension having collected his fifth yellow card of the season against West Ham United last Saturday.
Vertonghen, who was fit for Tuesday's game in Monaco but left on the bench, is likely to cover at left-back, with Kevin Wimmer continuing in central defence alongside Eric Dier.
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