Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that his decision to leave Moussa Sissoko out of the squad for his side's Premier League clash with Chelsea this evening was made for tactical reasons.

Sissoko created headlines in midweek when he suggested that Spurs should swap Wembley for White Hart Lane when playing in Europe after seeing the North London outfit crash out of the Champions League.

Reports had surfaced suggesting that those comments were the reason behind his snub for the match at Stamford Bridge, but Pochettino insists that the rigours of the two competitions forced him to rotate his squad.

"I can pick 18 players. Tactical, yes," he told reporters when questioned about the absence of Sissoko.

"We are competing in Champions League and Premier League and to be competitive you need sometimes to give rest to some players. Regret never. We are professional and we try to make the best decisions for the team."

Tottenham lost 2-1 to their London rivals as their unbeaten start to the season came to an end after 13 games.