Tottenham Hotspur icon Jermaine Jenas has claimed in his BBC sport column that the north London outfit have finally found a way of solving Mousa Dembele’s injury woes – and it is bringing the best out of him.
Dembele, 30, is showing the kind of form that he has always been capable of this season, but injury has prevented him from playing at 100 per cent. Even the Belgian ace has admitted in the past that he may not ever play full capacity again.
But after bossing games against Juventus, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool of late, Dembele and Tottenham may have finally found a way in which the former Fulham star can shine without Dembele having to be at 100 per cent.
That is the belief of former Spurs midfielder Jenas, who claimed that the Spurs staff and Mauricio Pochettino have finally worked out a solution for Dembele.
“They [Spurs] beat United, and won the north London derby, and earned impressive draws against Liverpool and Juve. Each time, Dembele was their best player,” Jenas said.
“It has also been a big moment for him because he has started all of those matches, something that has not happened very often. His injury problems, especially with a foot injury that required surgery last summer, have been well documented.
“But it appears Pochettino and the Spurs staff have worked really hard with him so he is able to play at his peak level for 90 minutes, or near enough, which is what they need from him.”
This season, Dembele has featured in 28 league and cup matches for the north Londoners, missing only a chunk of the season around September-October time due to an ankle injury. Dembele has proven Jenas point by coming off in four of the last five Premier League matches, but only in the final minutes of the match.
His future remains in doubt at the club, with less than 18 months remaining on a contract reportedly worth £80,000 a week. But if he continues his excellent form, that will surely change.
He is expected to start on Sunday afternoon as Spurs travel across London to face Crystal Palace, as he continues to form an impressive partnership with Eric Dier in the middle of the park.
(htc)
