Tottenham Hotspur eased to a 4-0 win over Stoke City on Sunday and put their disappointment of bowing out of Europa League behind them. A fantastic Harry Kane hat-trick and a Dele Alli strike gave the home side a comfortable victory against the Potters.

However, concerns were raised when Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen came off the pitch. They were substituted by the manager and it was believed that they were both injured. But Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that both the stars were only taken off as a precautionary measure and that they would have enough time to train and recover for the game against Everton next Sunday. Mauricio Pochettino said:

“Both asked to leave the pitch more for caution than problems, I hope in a few days they can start again to work with the group, we will play next Sunday and they will have time enough to recover.”

Jan Vertonghen only recently recovered from his injury and made his comeback some time ago. Substituting such a player only raises concerns about injuries and the reaction from the fans and media is normal.

It is good that Pochettino has played down fears of injury to two of their star men. Toby Alderweireld, in particular, has been solid at the back for Tottenham and has made the backline a fort of his own in the absence of fellow countryman Jan Vertonghen.

Vertonghen, meanwhile, has been an ever-present figure in the Tottenham line-up and is a leader on and off the pitch. With a player like Vertonghen missing out through injury, credits must be given to the way Toby Alderweireld has adapted to his role and how he displayed responsibility and character.

This news will come as a boost for Tottenham as missing out on two of their most important players would have been really difficult to deal with when facing a team like Everton. Spurs are only still trying to bounce back from their Europa League exit and they’ve done so in style, thrashing a struggling Stoke City side comprehensively.

But facing Everton will not be the same and Tottenham will have to be on their toes to deal with a certain Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian beast has scored 17 goals, level on numbers with Tottenham’s own Harry Kane. Hence, stopping the Belgian will require two other Belgian rocks – Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.