Tottenham Hotspur coach Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that Younes Kaboul is not guaranteed a place in the team because he is club captain.

The defender, who was appointed skipper at the start of the season, has missed Tottenham's last three games in all competitions.

With Jan Vertonghen and Federico Fazio being preferred in central defence in recent weeks, Pochettino has suggested that Kaboul will find it difficult to get back in the side.

"To be captain means you are a leader, but just because you are captain it doesn't mean you are sure of a place in the starting XI," the Argentine is quoted as saying by Goal.com.

"It's a football decision. There is no other explanation. When you decide to pick the team, you don't think about who the captain is. It's my job to pick the players and that will always be my decision."

Spurs are back in Premier League action on Boxing Day when they face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.