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Tottenham Hotspur: Paul Robinson feels that suspended Dele Alli will be missed against Man United
Tottenham ace Dele Alli has been banned for the Premier League game against Manchester United for a post on social media about coronavirus, the BBC understands.
Ex-Spurs star Paul Robinson believes the Englishman will be a “big miss” for Jose Mourinho as he prepares to face his old club.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former White Hart Lane goalkeeper insists Alli will have wanted to build upon his fine run of form before the nationwide lockdown was imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The forward has been also fined £50,000 and ordered to take an education course, and he will miss the clash with the Red Devils as a result.
Spurs are currently seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and head into the game knowing they must win if they are to meet Mourinho’s top four ambitions.
When asked if he thinks Alli would have started against United, Robinson said: “I would have thought so because he was just coming into form before the break. He will be a big miss. He just started playing well under Jose. If Spurs are without him and Lo Celso it will be a big blow.
“Clubs will have to utilise their whole squad throughout this period though and if we are playing three games a week, he would not have played all three anyway. Mourinho will have to shuffle his squad.”
It is difficult to disagree with Robinson on this one, as Alli has a strong record against the Red Devils. Indeed, the England international has won five out of the 10 matches that he has played against them and he has bagged three goals against United so far (Transfermarkt).
Furthermore, the 24-year-old is the club’s third-highest goalscorer this season, closely behind Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, as he has scored nine goals in all competitions.
Who should replace Dele Alli for Spurs?
Lucas Moura
Erik Lamela
Spurs have lost the last two meetings between the teams, which could be cause for concern for Mourinho as his side must win to keep their realistic chances of Champions League qualification alive.
To compound the difficulty of the task, Alli has been suspended, and the Portuguese could be forced to call upon Erik Lamela instead. The Argentine has arguably struggled for consistency up until now and is surely a downgrade on the Englishman, as he has averaged fewer shots and dribbles per game than his teammate, via WhoScored.
As it stands, Alli’s absence will no doubt be a bitter blow and Tottenham may come to regret his earlier indiscretion if they are beaten on Friday night.
Tottenham fans, do you think Alli’s presence will be missed against Man United? Let us know in the comments below!
