Spurs transfer news: The reason why Jan Vertonghen was left out of Aston Villa win

Tottenham dropped Jan Vertonghen from the squad against Aston Villa due to fitness concerns, according to Daily Mail. The Belgian was a surprise exclusion as we began our Premier League season with a 3-1 win.

The report claims that Pochettino dropped the Belgian due to poor fitness levels and a disappointing pre-season.

Pochettino did the same last season, with Toby Alderweireld sitting out the season opener last time out. Pochettino is known for keeping a close eye on data from fitness tests.

Hopefully, this pushes Vertonghen to work harder and prove himself once again. The Belgian is a key figure in the squad and he has to set an example to the youngsters out there.

Vertonghen is in the final year of his contract and hopefully, the exclusion is only due to fitness reasons and nothing else. This is an important season for the club as we are on the up and the last thing we need is a controversy.

Prior to the game, Pochettino said that the decision to leave out Vertonghen was tactical. However, it looks like the reason for Vertonghen’s absence is a different one.

Pochettino was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying,

“With all the players fit you struggle to find a starting XI.”

“This is my sixth season, I think everyone knows me. I am going to play the players who I believe deserve to play. There is not any issue, only my decision was to play with Toby [Alderweireld] and Davinson [Sanchez].”

“We have more than 25 players and everyone needs to understand we have plenty of good players in every position.”

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We need Vertonghen more than ever and let’s hope he returns to top shape soon.