Tottenham confirmed that Eric Dier has been ruled out of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Liverpool. The 25-year-old has endured a number of injuries problems this season and his hip-flexor issue is the fourth of the campaign. Dier has made 16 league appearances in 2018/19, missing 11 games through injury. His latest was picked up for England against the Czech Republic on March 22.
Mauricio Pochettino could turn to Victor Wanyama against Liverpool as Harry Winks has also been ruled out of action. The Tottenham manager has become used to seeing Dier on the treatment table, with the midfielder suffering a thigh muscle strain in November, an appendectomy in December, an illness in February and now a hip-flexor injury in late-March.
Spurs can’t afford to drop points in their pursuit of a top-four finish, so they’ll need to go to Anfield and get a result – a difficult task given their poor form of late. The Lilywhites are currently third in the Premier League with 61 points in 30 games but have lost three of their last four – Burnley, Chelsea and Southampton.
Dier has made only three league appearances in 2019, amounting to 102 minutes of football, so Tottenham have had to cope without him. His absence will be a blow ahead of such an important game, however.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Second Tottenham player leaving for free, £20m loss could see Daniel Levy quiz Pochettino