Dembele hopes for good news on foot injury

Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele is hopeful the foot injury he sustained during Saturday’s Premier League clash with Everton will not keep him on the sidelines for very long.

Both sides had a player carried from the pitch on a stretcher, Everton’s Tom Cleverley in clear pain after being felled by Eric Dier and Dembele following a bizarre self-inflicted injury during the goalless draw at White Hart Lane.

Even upon viewing replays it was unclear exactly how the 28-year-old Belgium midfielder had been hurt, although his right boot appeared to clip his left Achilles after passing the ball.

Dembele posted on Twitter on Sunday morning: “Pity we couldn’t win yesterday. Let’s hope the injury is not too bad. Thank you all for the support! #COYS.”

An update on the extent of the damage is expected on Monday.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino believes Toffees goalkeeper Tim Howard put in the best performance of the day as he kept a clean sheet with a string of superb saves.

Harry Kane, Ryan Mason and Toby Alderweireld were kept at bay by Howard in the first half, although Kane should have finished his one on one with the American goalkeeper.

Pochettino told tottenhamhotspur.com: “Tim Howard was man of the match – that’s the clear answer.”

Meanwhile, Everton manager Roberto Martinez is confident that Cleverley’s leg injury is not as serious as first feared.

The 26-year-old England midfielder, who has started all four of Everton’s opening Premier League games this season, was carried off on a stretcher with his right leg in a boot.

But Toffees boss Martinez told the club’s official website: “The physio is a little bit more positive (after the match than he was at half-time).

“I think it is clearly ligament damage – but, straight away, we were fearing it could have been ligament damage and a fracture as well.

“It shows that Tom is a very, very fit man to be able to get through that collision with a (relatively) minor injury.

“He will still be out for a while but not as long as we first thought he might be – and we thank the luck that we had there.”