Mauricio Pochettino hints at squad rotation ahead of crucial fixtures

Mauricio Pochettino has hinted that he will rotate his team in the coming weeks as Tottenham Hotspur begin a hectic schedule of games starting with their visit to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday (15 October). The north London club will play seven games in the next 23 days in the Premier League, EFL Cup and Champions League as they enter a crucial part of the season.

Spurs begin their schedule with four straight away games which include trips to the Hawthorns, Anfield and to Germany to face Bayer Leverkusen. The Argentine manager admits that he will have a number of key decisions to make in the coming weeks to keep his players fresh and devoid of fatigue.

Tottenham will be without key players Harry Kane and Mousa Dembele for this run of games which will put the onus on players like Son Heung-Min, who has been in form lately, and Erik Lamela to perform regularly on a consistent basis. Pochettino is also concerned about over burdening his players, who have been representing club and country over the weeks, and players like Eric Dier and Danny Rose, who have only recently returned following injuries.

"Saturday we know is a very important game and important to try to win the game," Pochettino said, as quoted on Sky Sports.

"But in the same way we have many, many issues or ideas in our head because it is not only that we have one game ahead against West Bromwich, like it's the (only) game and we need the three points and it is the end of the season.

"We have seven games in 23 days and after the international duty when the players that play a lot, that come from injury, like Danny Rose, or players like Eric Dier or Erik Lamela that arrived on Wednesday, or Son from Asia.

"We need to be clever in how we prepare the game and the decision that we shall take to be ready to compete in Germany, Bournemouth, Liverpool in seven games," the Argentine manager explained.

Tottenham are the only unbeaten team in the Premier League at the moment and proved their credentials as one of the challengers for the title this season by convincingly beating Manchester City prior to the international break. Pochettino is hopeful that his team can build on their momentum and continue their run, but admits it is difficult after a two-week break that saw a number of players travel with their national teams.

"I think it was a fantastic win. If you compete again after three days, and Manchester City was the first game in a run of seven, fantastic, because that is a big, big boost," Pochettino added.

"But it was at the end. And then the players go away. And now they come back, like Christian Eriksen is coming back very disappointed with the last result (for Denmark), or the England players. Now our job is to be more than coaches, it is to be psychologists too."