Mauricio Pochettino confident Christian Eriksen injury is just ‘small thing’

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino hopes Christian Eriksen’s injury is not too serious.

The Denmark international will not play in Spurs’ Premier League game at Huddersfield after picking up an abdomen injury at Brighton last weekend.

Eriksen is a key player for Spurs and Pochettino is hopeful he will be fit to face Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“After the game against Brighton he started to feel a small problem in his abdominal,” he said.

“I think it’s a small thing. I hope for next week he will be available again. For Barcelona? I hope yes.”

Spurs will assess captain Hugo Lloris, who has not played since injuring his thigh at Manchester United, and he might be fit to feature in West Yorkshire.

“We need to assess him tomorrow. He’s doing very well,” Pochettino added. “The decision will be on Friday if he will be available to play against Huddersfield.

“If not we’re going to wait until Wednesday. It depends on tomorrow.”

If Lloris does not make it at Huddersfield, it will mean a third successive start for Paulo Gazzaniga, with Michel Vorm still out with a knee injury.

The Argentinian, who is from the same village as his manager, had only made one senior appearance for the club prior to last week’s win at Brighton, but impressed against the Seagulls and then saved two penalties in Spurs’ Carabao Cup shootout win over Watford on Wednesday.

There is evidence to suggest he has done enough to climb above Vorm in the pecking order and become Lloris’ deputy.

Pochettino will decide that when all three are fit, but for now he is happy with Gazzaniga’s performance after so long in the wilderness.

“Now he is number one,” the boss said. “Because it’s not Hugo. Of course we are so happy, that is why we signed him one year ago.

“It is so important to have goalkeepers that can play and perform the way Paulo does.

“It is so tough to be a keeper and wait for your opportunity, it is not like a player in different positions that you can play five minutes, 10 minutes, half an hour.

“The position is so specialist than another, it is so tough the time waiting for your opportunity.

“But we are so happy because our goalkeeping coach Tony Jimenez is doing a fantastic job keeping all the keepers awake and ready to play.

“It is a difficult mental situation for the keepers that aren’t playing too much but now you can see the job and they can pay back all the work in the past.”