According to the Sam Wallace of the Telegraph, Dele Alli is nearing a return for Tottenham and could be back in time to face Arsenal on Sunday, September 1. The 23-year-old has been out of action with a hamstring injury suffered during pre-season and hasn’t played a minute of football this season.
He could feature in the upcoming North London derby and stands a good chance of making the England squad for September’s Euro 2020 qualifiers. Alli returned to training last week, but Mauricio Pochettino has avoided bringing him back too soon.
The Spurs boss gave Alli more time to recover and is expected to name him in the squad for the weekend. Whether he’d start against Arsenal remains to be seen, however. Pochettino isn’t short on options in midfield – Moussa Sissoko, Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele – but he may consider a chance after Tottenham’s surprise defeat to Newcastle.
Alli could become a more important player if Christian Eriksen is moved on this summer. Tottenham signed Giovani Lo Celso to provide creativity in the final third and will rely on him if they lose the 27-year-old – Pochettino has been outspoken in his uncertainty over keeping Eriksen.