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Tottenham optimistic over Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen injuries

Tottenham Hotspur will assess defenders Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen on Monday but Mauricio Pochettino has suggested neither suffered a serious injury against Stoke City on Sunday.

Spurs' 4-0 win against Stoke was marred when first Alderweireld and then Vertonghen were replaced in the second half. Spurs scored all their goals before half-time as Harry Kane netted his third hat trick of 2017 before laying on a fourth for Dele Alli.

Vertonghen returned to action in the FA Cup win at Fulham last weekend after five weeks out with ankle ligament damage and in his absence Spurs won just once in six matches, while they won twice in 11 matches without Alderweireld in October and November.

However, Spurs manager Pochettino said both Belgium internationals were replaced as a precaution, and is hopeful they will be fit for Sunday's league match against Everton.

"We hope it is not a big issues. Both asked to leave the pitch for caution rather than problems.

"We hope in a few days they can start again to work with the group and we play next Sunday and I hope we have enough time to recover them," Pochettino said.

Spurs are already without Danny Rose and they do not expect the left-back to be fit against until mid-April, which would rule him out of league games against Everton, Southampton, Burnley, Swansea and Watford, and the FA Cup quarterfinal at home to Millwall.