Spurs boss confirms trio are not in his plans for the season

Nabil Bentaleb: Not in Tottenham's plans

Nabil Bentaleb: Not in Tottenham's plans

Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed Nabil Bentaleb, together with two of his team-mates, will not be in his Tottenham plans for the forthcoming Premier League season.

The Algerian midfielder impressed in Pochettino’s first season at White Hart Lane but only played five times in the Premier League last term as he struggled with injuries.

The 21-year-old broke into the first team in the 2013/14 campaign towards the end of Tim Sherwood’s tenure at the club and only signed a new five-year contract last summer.

Spurs are currently on a pre-season tour of Australia where they will face Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the International Champions Cup but the Algerian international was left behind for the trip ‘down under’.

Pochettino insists Clinton N’Jie isn’t on the trip due to injury but confirmed Bentaleb – who Spurs’ team-mate Mousa Dembele is another tipped to struggle for games – along with fellow absentees Alex Pritchard and Federico Fazio aren’t in his plans for the new campaign.

“Njie is injured – he is in London and not available to come. The situation of the other three players is very clear. They are not in my plans,” he told reporters in Australia.