Jose Mourinho hinted that Dele Alli will be involved in upcoming fixtures after the midfielder made a rare start for Tottenham.
Alli, 24, played 65 minutes as Spurs pummelled non-league side Marine 5-0 in the FA Cup third round, picking up the assist for Carlos Vinicius' opener.
It marked the Englishman's sixth start of the season and his bit-part role has led to much speculation he will leave the north London club in the January transfer window.
Paris Saint-Germain tired to sign Alli on numerous occasions last summer and he could potentially link up with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino in the French capital.
But Mourinho suggested the midfielder – who has played just 74 minutes of Premier League football this season – could feature against Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Quizzed on whether Alli had played his way back into first-team contention, Mourinho said: "He was here today and of course it was not the match to measure the quality.
"But the professionalism and attitude and I am very happy with it.
Get the latest news straight into your inbox!
It has been a hectic season so far – so make sure you don't miss a single thing by signing up for the brilliant new Mirror Football newsletter!
All the latest transfer news and big stories will land straight into your inbox. You won't miss out.
To sign up, put your email at the top of this article or follow the instructions on this link.
"I will not be surprised if next Wednesday Dele is playing with us."
The Spurs boss added: "I am really happy with his attitude in the game. Of course we didn't want to risk much, the pitch is a bit dangerous and their enthusiasm can put the creative ones in some risk.
"But I am happy – good professionalism, good dynamic from him and Gedson [Fernandes] to start trying to create, so really pleased for the performance."
Mourinho also offered an assessment of Tottenham's season so far, saying: "Of course, in the Carabao Cup we reached the objective to be in the final.
"In the FA Cup this is a little first step. In the Premier League the table is a bit fake, we have had some very good results and some disappointing ones. But not bad at all."
Can Dele Alli resurrect his Tottenham career? Have your say in the comments.
Sign up to the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip.
Source: Read Full Article
