Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli is nursing an injury but has played through the pain barrier to improve the club's chances of ending a 55-year wait for an English title, manager Mauricio Pochettino said.

The 19-year-old has played an instrumental role in Tottenham's climb up the table in an impressive debut season, scoring seven goals and claiming nine assists in 27 league appearances, as well as earning a first cap for England.

"He is an incredible athlete, yes. But he is not a machine. He has a problem in his ankle and knee," Pochettino told British media. "We have different plans for different players, we analyse the minutes they play and how they are."

With nine league games remaining, Pochettino's side are second in the table, five points behind Leicester City.

Spurs, however, will turn their immediate attention to a Europa League trip to Germany for a last-16 first-leg encounter at Borussia Dortmund on Thursday.

Reuters