Tottenham great Glenn Hoddle is baffled by the absence of Dele Alli from manager Nuno's plans.

The midfielder has not been involved whatsoever in the North Londoners' previous three top-flight matches after being frozen out by Nuno.

Hoddle told The Sun: "Dele is a major asset. Playing at his best, he would score more goals than Foden and Mount.

“He is a midfielder who gets in the box. He is a box threat, rather than a deeper player who is a builder and you can build your game around.

“His biggest attribute is his ability to get into the box. And when he gets back to doing that, he will show us why he was so highly rated.

“But at the moment he has lost his goalscoring ability and I don't think he is being played in a role where he is being told to get into the box."

Hoddle added: “When Dele gets into the box, he is a wonderful player. You would want him in any team because goalscoring midfielders are hard to come by.

“I don't see him as someone who plays deep who you build your patterns of play through. He is the one who finishes your jigsaw, not starts it, by scoring goals.

“He came back this summer with a really good attitude. He clearly wants to put it right. And that's half the battle.

“But for me, to get the best out of him, he has to play in that position where he can hit the space in the attacking areas. That's where he is at his best."