Pochettino asked why Janssen is not in his plans

With their vast injury problems up front this week, if only Tottenham had a first team striker in reserve to come into the side when they need him most.

Remember Vincent Janssen? Spurs signed the Dutch striker in the summer of 2016, but he went on to only score six goals for the club, and hasn’t been used at all this campaign.

Janssen had been struggling with a foot injury, but recently recovered and has played three games for the under 23 side, scoring one and setting up a further three.

Despite his availability, Pochettino has ignored the former AZ Alkmaar forward, instead banking on ageing target man Fernando Llorente.

Janssen is clearly not in Poch’s plans anymore, a fact that the Argentine was clear to confirm in his press conference today.

One journalist asked Pochettino exactly why Janssen wasn’t in his plans, and whether the relationship between player and manager is still good.

Poch said (Football London): “I think it’s so clear that now it’s one year and a half that he’s not in our plans. He’s not in Tottenham’s plans the player. That’s so clear. Not in just the manager’s plans but the club’s plan.

“18 months ago we took the decision for him to try to find a different place to play because for different reasons it didn’t work. That happens in football. The relationship between the player and the club doesn’t work. You need to find the best solution. In the same way we are trying to get him fit as soon as possible because he’s training with the U23s at the club and trying to help him find his best and then try to find a club where he can be happy again and try to play but here it’s impossible.

“I see him in the changing room every day and the restaurant. It’s not a personal problem, it’s about the professional side. For different reasons that professional relationship isn’t working and we need to find a solution. We are trying to find the resolution. He got the injury months ago and we’re helping him, trying to find the right place for him to feel again like a player and play football.”

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