Key Tottenham duo facing fitness tests ahead of Arsenal clash

Tottenham will give fitness tests to Jan Vertonghen and Harry Winks ahead of Saturday’s north London derby against Arsenal.

Both men have hip injuries. Vertonghen’s was picked up in the build-up to Wednesday’s defeat to Chelsea, where Winks sustained a similar problem.

Harry Kane will be available after he escaped retrospective action from the Football Association for an apparent headbutt on Blues defender Cesar Azpilicueta.

Dele Alli (hamstring) and Eric Dier (tonisillitis) are both out.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said on Vertonghen and Winks: “I don’t know because we are going to train in the afternoon and we will see.

“I cannot say a percentage, we need to assess to see whether they will be available.”

Pochettino was also quick to defend Kane over the incident against their London rivals.

“He was very professional in the action,” the Spurs boss said. “I wasn’t worried because I knew what was going to happen.

“He is a player that cares about the club, the team and the result.

“The reaction is fantastic from my point of view because it is a player that cares. I would be more worried if he didn’t show that character or shows the message that he cares. That is the most important thing in my point of view.”

Tottenham head into Saturday’s derby in third place, nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool and looking to end a run of back-to-back defeats in the league.

Pochettino is aware of the damage those results – against Chelsea and Burnley – have done to their title challenge.

He said: “It was difficult after Burnley and after Chelsea it is nearly impossible.

“It is going to be tough. We need to win all of the games and the two opponents above us need to lose some games.

“If we want to be dreamers then until it is mathematically impossible you can dream. But realistically the percentage is not too big.”