Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld unlikely to be fit for Arsenal clash

Tottenham Hotspur have received a major injury blow in the form of Tony Alderweireld, who is set to miss their games against Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen following a knee injury he picked up earlier in October. The defender is likely to return to action after the international break, with Eric Dier taking his place alongside Jan Vertonghen.

Standard Sport reports that Tottenham were hopeful that Alderweireld will be available for their game against the Gunners on Sunday (November 6), but that is no longer the case, with the Belgian being ruled out of the fixture as he recovers from a knee injury. Dier, whose place in the centre of midfield has been taken over by Victor Wanyama, will slot into central defence, as Spurs look to extend their run of unbeaten games to 11.

Tottenham have the best defence in the Premier League and only conceded their first goal from open play in their 1-1 draw with Leicester City last weekend. Harry Kane, who missed the major part of the season with an injury, is likely to be back in action against the Gunners, giving them some much needed firepower up top, coupled with the England international's glowing record against the Gunners in recent games.

Spurs will also be without Moussa Sissoko against the Gunners, who will serve the third of his three-match ban against the north London club, after being retrospectively charged for an offence against Bournemouth. Meanwhile, Dier has revealed that he wants to be like Philipp Lahm and David Alaba for Tottenham, playing in a variety of positions like the two Bayern Munich veterans.

"I could do a list of loads of top players who play in many different positions. David Alaba and Philipp Lahm of Bayern Munich, or Javier Mascherano of Barcelona," he said.

"People always seem to want to pin me down to one position but I see players all over Europe who play in more than one. It ensures they get appearances for their clubs and it's a fantastic weapon for a manager. It's a bit stupid to be talking about it [playing in a specific position]. If I could get to the level of players like Alaba, Lahm or Mascherano, I would be a very happy man."