Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris doubtful for Southampton as Danny Rose and Harry Winks miss out

Tottenham Hotspur captain Hugo Lloris may miss his side's trip to face lowly Southampton on Sunday (21 January) through illness while Danny Rose and Harry Winks will not travel for the clash against Mauricio Pellegrino's beleaguered former side as they continue their respective recoveries from knee and ankle injuries.

Lloris has missed just one Premier League match so far this season but he may have to sit out of Sunday's expedition to the south coast as Spurs' medical team run checks over the Frenchman, who will be replaced by either Michel Vorm for Paulo Gazzaniga, a summer signing from their upcoming opponents.

"I don't know [if Lloris will be fit for Sunday]," Pochettino said in his press conference, per Football.London. "Difficult to say. We need to wait today and tomorrow and then assess him tomorrow and if he's available or not. I think it's a flu or a virus. It's between this. I think everyone, with this weather, apart from today's fantastic weather, has struggled a little bit. It's an epidemic across Europe not just here in the UK.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino will hope to have Lloris at his disposal for the meeting against Southampton, who are without a win their last 10 Premier League matches, but the Argentine will have to make do without Rose and Winks, who are still not ready to return to action.

Rose has not featured for Tottenham since they ran out 5-2 victors over Southampton on Boxing Day, but Pochettino is hopeful the England international will return to action before the end of the month. Winks, who has also not featured for Spurs since the rampant win, is not expected back for another fortnight.

There was some good news on the fitness front for Pochettino to savour; influential defender Toby Alderweireld is making sufficient progress in his recovery from a severe hamstring injury sustained in the famous win over Real Madrid and is close to returning to first-team training.

The Belgium international, who still hasn't penned a fresh contract with Tottenham with his current deal set to run out at the end of next season, is hoping to make his return to action when the Lilywhites travel to face top four rivals Liverpool on February 4.

"Maybe today if all is okay with him [Alderweireld] then tomorrow he can integrate himself in some exercise with the group and gradually build his fitness to be available again," Pochettino said.

"I am very pleased when the players that are injured and you can see at the end are in their preparation to return like Harry Winks or in this case, Toby or Danny Rose. I think every manager wants all their players fit and available to select. That is the most important thing. We have a very busy period ahead and we need all the team fit and available to play."

Tottenham may go into Sunday's clash without key figures such as Lloris, but Southampton have a couple of injury concerns to contend with themselves. Charlie Austin, Saints' top scorer with six goals this season, is out with a hamstring problem, while long-serving defender Maya Yoshida is a major doubt for the weekend with a similar issue.

Aside from injuries, Pochettino downplayed Tottenham's chance of bringing in fresh faces for the end of the January transfer window and dismissed of a bid from Chelsea for striker Fernando Llorente as rumours.

Llorente rejected Antonio Conte's side in order to join Pochettino's men in the summer but the former Swansea City striker is still of interest to the Premier League champions, who have recently been linked with Stoke City veteran Peter Crouch. There were suggestions that the Blues were preparing to approach Tottenham for the Spaniard, who has scored just twice since moving to north London, but Pochettino has not heard anything about a move for his second-choice striker.

"That is a rumour. I didn't hear anything official. Nobody said anything to me about it. That is just a rumour that I hear from the media, nothing official," Pochettino said.

On strengthening his side, Pochettino said: "To be honest, it's difficult but in some point you always dream. But not too much exciting. If happen, it happens, if not happen, then not happen. We're happy with the squad."