Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that Christian Eriksen could make his return to first team action against Manchester City, saying that the situation surrounding the midfielder's contract will not affect his team selection.
The influential Dane has entered the last season on his contract, and was subject to a tumultuous summer in which moves to Real Madrid and Manchester United seemed on the cards.
He was then left out of the starting XI against Aston Villa for the season opener on Saturday, coming on to make an impact as a substitute inside the final half hour, with Spurs coming from behind to win 3-1 thanks to a debut stunner from Tanguy Ndombele and a winning double from Harry Kane.
Manager Pochettino, however, said in his press conference prior to their visit to Manchester City that the uncertainty will not influence his team decision, and that Eriksen's impact from the bench last week has given him something to think about.
"We will see," he said, as quoted by Football London, when asked if Eriksen is likely to start against City. "Only 11 players can start. I am happy last week how he did, and his performance in training."
When pressed on if the situation will influence his selection, he replied: "No. For me, it is the same if a player has a year or five years [remaining on their deal].
"The selection is not because of the length of the contract, it is about the performance. I will take the decision based on the performance, not the contract or personal situations."
On the game itself, the Spurs boss gave a grounded assessment of his side's chances, saying that while a win would be 'massive', the size of the task at hand at this early stage means that a positive performance is all he can ask for from his players.
"To be honest all the games are important. If we win it will be massive. If we don't we are going to say it's early in the season and there is time to improve. Those are the topics that always arise if you win or don't win.
"Being honest, like always, it's about for us building the way we want to play and be during the season. I think after not too long pre-season and not working in the best conditions, the team needs time to be in the best position we want to be."
Source : 90min