Published: 10 December, 2015
by DAN CARRIER

SPURS take on struggling Newcastle at White Hart Lane on Sunday in a game dubbed “a must-win” by the home fans following two successive draws.

Boss Mauricio Pochettino is set to welcome long-term injury victims Nabil Bentaleb and Nacer Chadli back into the fold. 

Ryan Mason is also back in contention after picking up an ankle injury in the goalless draw against Chelsea. It means Pochettino can chose from a near full squad, with Alex Pritchard the only first teamer on the sidelines. 

Spurs marked up their 14 game unbeaten on Saturday in a battling 1-1 draw away at West Brom. The two sides now face FA charges following a brawl at the end of the game that was sparked when Mousa Dembele was taken out by a dangerous tackle by Albion’s James McClean. 

Meanwhile Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has told the club’s website that Pochettino told him in the summer Eric Dier would make a brilliant central midfielder. 

The chairman said: “We were hoping to buy a defensive midfield, but one of the Mauricio’s skills is that he understands exactly what’s in that dressing room. He said to me ‘I don’t want a defensive midfielder. I am comfortable that I can make Dier into a top defensive midfielder’. We have to give credit to Mauricio for his skill.” 

Spurs will face table toppers Leicester City in the FA Cup third round in January, the side who knocked them out of the competition last season.