OPINION
West Ham United have been handed a boost as Tottenham Hotspur are without midfielder Dele Alli for the clash between the two sides on Saturday.
Spurs are set to travel to the London Stadium this weekend to face the Hammers, with the home side hoping to return to winning ways after their recent 1-0 loss to Brighton.
The Evening Standard has reported that the England international has been ruled out of the fixture due to a thigh problem, with the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama also ruled out.
The Lilywhites will look incredibly thin in attack due to the absence of Alli – who currently earns £55,000-a-week [Spotrac] – and this will seriously disrupt their plans for Saturday’s showdown.
Alli usually operates as an attacking midfielder for his side, and is a neat passer of the ball – but he is undoubtedly most known for contributing assists to teammate Harry Kane, as well as providing a number of goals.
He has started five of Tottenham’s Premier League games so far, and he will no doubt be missed by boss Mauricio Pochettino, who relies on him for creating numerous goal scoring opportunities.
Alli has been absent for almost a month now, and it looks like that he is not any closer to making a return to action in the near future.
He was one of Spurs’ most pivotal players last season and you can tell that the team really miss his presence on the field.
Nevertheless, what is Tottenham’s loss is West Ham’s gain, and Manuel Pellegrini will no doubt be jumping for joy after hearing that one of his opponents’ dangermen have been ruled out.
The Irons’ defence will have a relatively easier afternoon without Alli running riot in the final third, and this should provide them with the edge over the visitors.
