Midfielder Dele Alli has not travelled with the Tottenham squad to face Burnley on Monday, despite being fit to play.
Alli has tumbled down the pecking order under Spurs boss José Mourinho, making just two Premier League appearances so far and managing only 66 minutes.
He was a second-half substitute in Thursday's 3-0 win over LASK, but according to The Athletic, he hasn't done enough to force his way back into consideration for Monday's fixture and has instead remained at home.
Alli has already missed three Premier League games and appears set to take that total to four, with Mourinho preferring the likes of Érik Lamela, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele behind striker Harry Kane.
Mourinho has publicly thrown down the gauntlet to Alli, insisting the chance to regain a spot in the team is there, but recently hinted that the midfielder is yet to show he has the motivation required to do so.
“It’s about him, it’s not about me," he told Sky Sports. "People used to say the coach has to motivate, the coach has to get the best out. I don’t agree.
"We are an external source of motivation for a player, but if the player is not motivated, if the player is not the one that really wants, we can’t do much.
“The level is very high. The Kanes, the Sons, these guys are putting the level so so high for the others to get minutes in these attacking positions.”
Mourinho's side is full of attacking options, and with Son and Kane almost guaranteed starters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there are only two other spots up for grabs. Lamela, Lo Celso, Ndombele, Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn and Jack Clarke are now competing with summer signings Carlos Vinícius and Gareth Bale, so Mourinho is keen to give opportunities to those who truly deserve it.
Should Alli's exile continue much longer, a January move away from the club feels inevitable. Rumours of an exit during the summer were rife but amounted to nothing, but with his spot in the England squad already drifting away, he may be eager to find a new home soon.
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Source : 90min