Football
Dan Kilpatrick, Tottenham Correspondent 7y

Tottenham trio Dembele, Dier and Rose doubtful vs. Middlesbrough

LONDON -- Mousa Dembele, Eric Dier and Danny Rose are all doubts for Tottenham's visit to Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Saturday, manager Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed.

The midfield duo were both replaced with hamstring problems in last weekend's 1-0 win against Sunderland, in which Harry Kane was stretchered off with damaged ankle ligaments, while Rose has missed the last four matches after tweaking his hamstring in England's (World Cup qualification) win in Slovakia.

Asked about the trio's chances of facing Boro or playing in Tuesday's Champions League match at CSKA Moscow, Pochettino told a news conference: "They will be assessed today in the last training session -- they are working well. We'll see.

"Eric Dier, Mousa and Danny Rose are very close to being available. If not this weekend, then maybe Tuesday in the Champions League in Russia.

"It was a little bit more than cramp [for Dier and Dembele]. A small, small issue. They're running, they're working, they're nearly healthy.

"I need to decide whether to take a risk or wait for Champions League in Moscow, or [next weekend's league match against] Man City, but ensure they don't spend more time like that."

Meanwhile, Pochettino revealed that Kane's ankle is still swollen, six days after he was injured after scoring the winner at White Hart Lane.

On Monday, the Argentine refused to put a timeframe on Kane's recovery and he said the club would know more about the striker's situation next week.

"We need to assess every day but we're waiting for another scan next week, then we can assess him much better and know how long his recovery will be. But we need to wait a few days more, there's still swelling on his ankle," Pochettino said.

Kane has missed four Premier League games since the start of the 2014-15 season, with Spurs drawing one and losing three, but Pochettino said: "We need to be positive. We cannot change the past.

"He got injured last Sunday, now only we need to be positive to help his recovery. He's very positive about his recovery, he feels good, he's in a good mood. It's very important to have all his energy and focus on being available."

In Kane's absence, Vincent Janssen is set to start his second Premier League match after opening his account for Spurs from the penalty spot in Wednesday's 5-0 win over Gillingham in the EFL Cup.

"It's not only his responsibility [to score goals] now -- it's always the team's responsibility," Pochettino said.

"He needs to feel free to play, to try to help team now. It's a big opportunity for him to show his real skill.

"He needs to feel free to enjoy the game. He has nothing to show -- only to play football.

"A striker always needs to feel confident and feel the net. It was good opportunity for him to score a his first official goal with us and build his confidence.

"We'll see tomorrow. It's a great opportunity for him to start from beginning, maybe, and help the team."

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