Starting the 2019-20 campaign against Premier League new boys Aston Villa, Tottenham came from behind to win 3-1 and headed home with a smile on their faces.
Mauricio Pochettino left out Jan Vertonghen against the Premier League new boys and started his compatriot Toby Alderweireld alongside Davinson Sánchez.
The Spurs manager explained the 32-year-old was fit to face Villa, but felt Alderweireld and Sanchez deserved to start ahead of him.
Vertonghen’s contract with the Champions League runners-up runs down at the end of the season and Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium takes a look at why the player was omitted from the squad for the last tie.
It’s claimed the centre-back did not have the best of preseasons with Tottenham this summer and is physically not at the same level as other players available in the same position.
Pochettino did not even place Vertonghen on the bench, favouring an attacking player to fill the dugout up instead.
Tottenham face Manchester City on Saturday and it remains to be seen if the Belgium international will be included in the squad later this weekend.
If Pochettino omits Vertonghen against City, then more questions could be raised about the veteran’s future in London.
