Mauricio Pochettino insists there is no issue with Danny Rose after Tottenham star was dropped for Arsenal loss

Rose was dropped from the entire squad despite believing he was fit enough

Rose has insisted that his and Pochettino's relationship is a very strong one (Getty)

Mauricio Pochettino insisted that there is “no issue” between him and Danny Rose after dropping the England left-back from the squad for Saturday’s derby defeat at Arsenal.

Rose did not travel to the Emirates, instead spending Saturday training at Tottenham Hotspur’s base in Enfield. Pochettino said that he needed to “build up his fitness” following his 10-month injury absence and suggested that he would not have been able to handle 90-minutes of intense derby football.

But Rose believed himself to be fit enough to play on Saturday. He played 89 minutes in Spurs’ last game, the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Wembley, before playing twice for England over the international break: 71 minutes against Germany and then a late substitute appearance against Brazil. He has now made five appearances, three from the start, since coming back from his 10-month knee absence.

Pochettino and his staff did not judge Rose to be fit enough for Saturday’s game, however. “We analysed the player and we said to the player that we believed it was better to play another player, and [Rose] needs to wait,” Pochettino explained. “Like different players that are out, like [Georges-Kevin] N’Koudou who was out of the squad today.”

Rose injured knee ligaments in late January, spent months trying to recover before undergoing knee surgery on 16 May. After months of rehabilitation he returned to first team action on 17 October, playing the last 10 minutes of Spurs’ 1-1 draw at Real Madrid. Pochettino said he is still not at the level to play an intense 90-minute derby.

“It’s not the same if you are trying to get fit,” Pochettino explained. “One thing is you can play. Another thing is to be fully fit to play and to cope with 90 minutes. And for us, rather than [Rose] being on the bench today, it was the decision to make him train at the training ground. Like [Erik] Lamela was playing with the U23s, to try to get fit. After 10 months it is so difficult to build up the fitness.”

Danny Rose gave a highly controversial interview in the summer (Getty)

“It’s not [for] another reason. It’s only that he needs to build, and then wait for his opportunity. We believe that he can play. It’s important that we played without him for 10 months, and without Lamela for more than one year. The competition is so tough. To get fit and be again ready to cope with the pressure to play 90 minutes is so difficult.”

Pochettino fiercely insisted that there is no problem between him and Rose and that there was no argument over the selection decision.

“You are trying to find an issue that is not an issue,” he said. “When it’s an issue, I explain, it’s an issue. When it’s not an issue, it’s not an issue.”

Rose has spoken warmly about Pochettino in the past but his Spurs future has been in doubt ever since he gave a controversial newspaper interview in August criticising their transfer policy and wage structure. Rose was interested at the time in a move to Chelsea or Manchester United.

Now that he is fit again, Rose’s main priority is to play for Spurs and to be ready for the World Cup, but he accepts that his long-term future may be away from Tottenham. Manchester City and Manchester United are weighing up a bid in January for him but a move in the summer is likelier.