Townsend dropped from Spurs squad after fight with fitness coach

Tottenham midfielder Andros Townsend has been dropped from the team by manager Mauricio Pochettino after the English international got into a fight with fitness coach Nathan Gardiner during a post-match training session on Monday night.

The fight, which was captured in photos, apparently had Townsend asking for a winter move, prompting Pochettino to leave him out of the squad for the team's Europa League match against Anderlecht, and possibly for the foreseeable future.

"He did not train with the group and he is not available for selection tomorrow," Pochettino told reporters. "When you behave in the wrong way, obviously you need to pay.

"It's my decision when he is available again. For me, discipline is very important. We have a very young squad and they can make mistakes, but when you cross the limit it's important to stop that."

Townsend has only made three starts this season for Tottenham, none of which came in Premier League action. And with players like Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela ahead of him in the pecking order as it is, these sanctions only prove another setback for the young English winger.

There's some hope for Townsend, though, as the Spurs manager isn't laying down the law permanently.

"As a manager I am very friendly, but discipline is very important between us and the staff. The staff need to show respect to the players and the players need to show respect to the staff.

"He is still young. He has recognised he made a mistake. He has apologised. I can understand because I was a player and when you're not playing you are not happy. Sometimes your expectations are bigger than what your manager provides you, but it's not normal behaviour and he understands it's not the way he needs to take to impress the manager.

"All players have a future. It's up to them to have a future here. Football can change quickly. He is in our squad because we believe in him and believe he can do very good things, but it's up to the player to show me I am wrong with my previous decisions."