Pochettino: we hope Adebayor is back soon

Emmanuel Adebayor has compassionate leave to return home to Togo

Emmanuel Adebayor has compassionate leave to return home to Togo (PA)

Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, hopes to have Emmanuel Adebayor back before Christmas after the Togolese striker was given compassionate leave to return home.

Adebayor will not play in Spurs’ Europa League Group C game against Besiktas in Istanbul tonight, and at the pre-match press conference Pochettino expressed his desire for a swift return.

“I hope he sorts his problems,” he said. “I don’t know how long he will be out for but we hope he will stay with us next week to train.”

Pochettino added: “I have always told you that players are human. It is important to fix this type of problem because always family is important.”

It is believed that a member of Adebayor’s family has been taken seriously ill.

Roberto Soldado is likely to start up front for Spurs and Pochettino is braced for a difficult game even though his side have already qualified for knockout stage. “We expect tomorrow a very tough game because Besiktas is a very good team,” he said. “It was difficult in London at Tottenham. We want to get the victory tomorrow to top the group.”

Right-back Kyle Walker will return tonight after nine months out. “I have had to dig deep,” said Walker. “It is been difficult both mentally and physically. But I feel perfect now, fit and fresh and ready to go.”

Everton will welcome back their Ivory Coast striker Arouna Koné for the first time in over a year when they face Krasnodar at Goodison Park in Group H. Koné injured his knee against Hull City in October last year.

Everton have already qualified for the last 32 as group winners, so manager Roberto Martinez is using their final group game against the Russian side to try out some of his younger players.

Joel Robles, Christian Atsu, Steven Pienaar, Luke Garbutt and Tyias Browning will be in the team along with Costa Rica midfielder Bryan Oviedo, who has made two appearances after breaking a leg 11 months ago.

Martinez added that there was “no danger whatsoever” of his winger Kevin Mirallas leaving the club next month following speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool.

Captain Scott Brown and winger James Forrest have been left out of the Celtic squad for their final Group D game against Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.

The Scottish side have also qualified for the knockout stages already and Brown is on a booking, while Forrest is still coming back to full fitness after injury.