Mauricio Pochettino has left four key first-team players out of his squad for Tottenham’s Europa League match at Qarabag – but Harry Kane has travelled to Azerbaijan.
Kane, who has featured in all 18 of Spurs’ competitive matches this term, has made the trip to Baku along with other first-team regulars like Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen.
Yet there will be at least three changes to Tottenham’s XI.
Defenders Kyle Walker and Danny Rose and midfielder Mousa Dembele all started the 4-1 win over West Ham last Sunday, but have remained in London along with forward Erik Lamela.
Lamela was absent from the West Ham game due to suspension but is thought to have been left behind as a precaution, after missing certain training sessions while away with Argentina due to a muscular complaint.
Kane, meanwhile, could be left on the bench as Pochettino is keen for his star man not to suffer burn-out. Victory over Qarabag would seal Tottenham’s spot in the knockout stages with a match to spare.
Barely 48 hours after completing their 5,000-mile round trip from Baku, Spurs face Chelsea at White Hart Lane on Sunday – a midday kick-off.
Player Ratings: Tottenham vs West Ham
Kane, 22, has made 24 appearances for club and country this season. He also represented England Under-21s at last summer’s European Championships and, as a regular member of the senior squad, he is likely to be included in the 23-man party for Euro 2016 at the end of the season. That would mean nearly two years’ football with hardly a break.
