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Mauricio Pochettino says Harry Winks has the potential to be one of England’s best midfielders as the youngster waits to discover the seriousness of his ankle injury.

The 21-year-old has made 33 appearances for Spurs this term – more than Harry Kane – but is expected to miss the rest of the campaign after being stretchered off at Burnley on Saturday.

It is a sorry end to Winks’ breakthrough season but, as he awaits the results of yesterday’s scan, he has been given encouragement by his manager, who feels he has a bright international future ahead of him.

“He was playing well with good performances and I’m sure in time he will be considered by Gareth Southgate,” said Pochettino. “But I cannot guess if it’s possible or not, it’s a question for him (Southgate).

“He is a very good prospect, a very dynamic player who plays very well with the ball, and without the ball he’s very aggressive.

“I think he only needs time to develop his game and be consistent and show his quality but, in time, why not? He can be one of the best midfielders for England.”

(Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Tottenham are likely to face another of their academy products tomorrow night, with Tom Carroll establishing himself as a regular for Swansea after leaving White Hart Lanein January.

The 24-year-old only made three appearances for Spurs in the first half of this season, before his £4.5million transfer, which is believed to include a 25 per cent sell-on fee for Tottenham.

However, Pochettino rejects the suggestion that Carroll was a victim of Winks’ progress.

“I think it’s not fair to say that,” said the Argentinian. “Every player is different and he wanted to play more. He needed to feel important and I think Swansea promised and provided that he would play a lot. It was his decision, with our decision.

“I’m very happy because he was a very good professional, a very good player for us but we couldn’t promise he would play every game. For him it was the right time to move.

“It’s very clear he was a player with a lot of quality to play in the Premier League and he’s fit in very quickly and easily at Swansea, and he’s playing every game very consistently with good performances.

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“I think he feels happy, and we are happy for him because he is a very nice guy.”