Alan Hutton feels bad for Toby Alderweireld after the Belgian got injured in Tottenham’s Premier League game against Manchester City last weekend.
He started the season behind Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, but he found a way to break that partnership and formed a solid one with Dier which lasted for the last five league games.
He would have expected to keep his place in the team for as long as possible because their defensive partnership was impressive and it had earned the club several clean sheets.
However, he pulled up injured in the final minutes of the game against the Citizens and he was replaced by Joe Rodon.
He is expected to spend some weeks on the sidelines now and Hutton sympathises because he was having a good run of games in the first team.
He claimed that when the Belgian walked off the pitched that day, he looked in pain and that might be a bad sign.
“Alderweireld and Dier have really made a good partnership, I think when you look at the stats, they’ve not conceded very many goals,” Hutton told Football Insider.
“They were looking really strong and I just noticed the way he walked off, he looked in pain walking and that’s not a great sign, that’s when you know it’s quite bad so I do really feel for him.
“I think they’re lucky enough that they brought in a centre-half, Rodon, but again, he’s not been tested, I’ve not seen much of him, whether he’ll throw him straight in, we’ll have to wait and see.
“I do feel for Alderweireld, they formed a great partnership, and he was playing really well.”
He needs to get on the training ground and start coaching all the other centre halves how to play those long diagonal balls!