MONACO -- Harry Kane, Mousa Dembele and Dele Alli are doubts to start Tottenham's crucial Champions League match against Monaco on Tuesday.
Kane scored two goals in 160 seconds to clinch a dramatic 3-2 win against West Ham on Saturday and then declared himself ready to play at Monaco and in next weekend's game at Chelsea.
The striker has started Spurs' last two matches since returning from an ankle ligament injury that ruled out him out for seven weeks, while Alli -- absent for those two matches -- is returning from a twisted knee and Dembele is nursing a persistent foot problem.
"First of all we need to assess some players because we have some problems but all available players are here," said Pochettino -- who is definitely without injured trio Toby Alderweireld, Erik Lamela and Ben Davies -- at a news conference on Monday.
"We need to be clinical about picking the starting XI for tomorrow because we have a lot of games ahead. Tomorrow is the most important but we have Chelsea Saturday and the level of the players is important.
"Our selection for tomorrow will be the players that are fit or not, that can play 90 minutes or not. We need to assess Harry Kane, Mousa Dembele and Dele Alli if they can play 90 minutes and don't take any risks that can affect for the next games.
"We have one day less than Monaco to recover because they play Friday, we play Saturday. Today is a very important day to assess and see if the players are fully recovered to play tomorrow. If we believe it's a risk to play them from the beginning, they can play from the bench and have an impact.
"It's important to play with 11 players that are fine, feeling like there is no risk, and can run and play in the best condition."
Pochettino added: "Saturday's victory was massive for the confidence, to feel again what it means to compete and win.
"It was important, we were in a very difficult period last month and it was difficult for different reasons and it was important to win. And how we won was fantastic too.
"Tomorrow is a completely different game, a different competition. It's impossible to win a game after five minutes, we need to play 90 minutes, be clever."
If Tottenham fail to win and Bayer Leverkusen beat CSKA Moscow in Russia, Spurs will not be able to reach the knockout stage, but Pochettino said his team do not have to take more risks than usual at Monaco, who have lost once in 23 home matches in all competitions.
"It's a game that we must win, but we need to find a way how," Pochettino said. "We have a good team in front, we know Monaco very well. We always want to win every game we play. It's not to take more or less risks but to be clever, follow the plan and try to win after 90 minutes. That's our idea, our challenge. It's not about risks, it's about balance in football.
"Will it be for nothing [if Spurs don't qualify]? No. It's always important to have experience. It's not the same as competing in the Europe League. It's a different level, everything is different. It's good to assess our players, to compete in different levels. To realise it's very tough.
"We need to take a lot of things, a a lot of information about our squad, players. Everything that happens will be positive for Tottenham."