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Tottenham's Vorm gives Pochettino selection headache

Reuters

Under normal circumstances, a healthy Hugo Lloris takes Tottenham's place in goal every time.

But backup Michel Vorm has made Mauricio Pochettino's job much more difficult.

Vorm performed admirably in Lloris' place as the Frenchman recovered from a hamstring injury. By keeping a clean sheet against Crystal Palace and preserving a 1-1 draw against Liverpool a week later, Vorm has given Pochettino reason to continue playing him.

Lloris is now fit to start Saturday at Stoke City, but there's no guarantees he'll get the nod.

"Yes, that is the worst (part of the job) because you have 24, 25 players who deserve to play but the rules say you can only pick 11," Pochettino told reporters Thursday. "It's always a tough decision for me to pick the starting 11, it's difficult with every (position) but that is football."

Vorm has already made more Premier League starts (2) than he did all of last season. His most recent performance drew significant praise: The 32-year-old made a wonderful reaction save on Philippe Coutinho's close-range shot, and rushed out of his net on two occasions to deny Sadio Mane.

"I think it was one of the best saves I've ever made to be honest," said Vorm, referring to Coutinho's effort.

Lloris, however, is one of the world's best goalkeepers. He made several key saves as France made a run to the Euro 2016 final. Denying him a spot in the lineup would take some brave decision-making from Pochettino.

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