Has Bentaleb been told to leave or not?

Has Bentaleb been told to leave or not?

The squad for the Australian trip has been announced and there is no Nabil Bentaleb which raises questions about his future.

He didn't figure in the European Championships, being Algerian, so his omission for the tournament down under is a surprise, given the number of youth players we have taken. The reason is not obvious and one that we can only guess at, at the moment. The full behind the scenes story may never be known.

Bentaleb and Pochettino seemed to have a decent relationship. You go back o Pochettino's first season and the home game against Arsenal. It was Nabil Bentaleb who supplied the cross from deep for Harry Kane to head the winner and Bentaleb went straight across to Pochettino to shake his hand and hug into each other.

Since then we have had a protracted contract negotiation where Bentaleb's representatives were asking for him to be put on top money. Eventually, a five-year contract was signed, it ends in 2020. Now ESPN are reporting that Mauricio Pochettino has told Bentaleb he is surplus to requirements.

Bentaleb had an accident last season, and there is speculation that that was as the result of a motorcycle accident. Now I have no idea whether that is true or not but players are instructed not to ride motorbikes. The injury he sustained was then aggravated on international duty and he has to have an operation which kept him out longer. If it was as a result of riding a motorbike then he may well have lost Pochettino's trust, which would mean the door.

He started a behind-closed-doors friendly against Rotherham this week, but then Clinton Njie came on as a sub and he looks to be about o leave. Tottenham starting XI vs Rotherham: Vorm; Trippier, Ball, Wimmer, Amos; Wanyama, Bentaleb; Son, Mason, Chadli; Janssen.

Bentaleb did give an interview where he said Pochettino had given him specific instructions for the position, he particularly wanted him to work on his passing. Not having seen much of him since it is hard to know whether he has taken that on board or whether he does an Andros Townsend, simply reverts to type and does what he wants, not what the coach wants.

It could be that he has simply picked up an injury against Rotherham and people are putting two and two together, which looks to be what has happened with the ESPN article. I have heard a whisper he is injured but I don't know for sure. He has been putting the effort in in training and is reported as being the one who most loves the gruelling pre-season training. Is it that he has lost Pochettino's trust and he has been trying to get it back by his efforts in training?

We'll have to wait and see what reaction here is from other clubs, will bids start coming in for him? There have been enquiries and reports that we want £20-million for him, which suggests playing wise there is a player there. A watching brief for now while we see this one unfold.