Danny Rose Was 'Fuming' After Derby Snub but Denies Mauricio Pochettino Bust-Up

Danny Rose has revealed his anger at being left out of Tottenham Hotspur's squad for the north London derby on Saturday but has said he has not fallen out with manager Mauricio Pochettino because of it. 

Rose spoke after playing 90 minutes in Spurs' 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champion League on Tuesday. Per the Mirror's John Cross, he said:

"My reaction was I was fuming, I was angry. But understanding, at the same time. There's been no bust-up, there's been no argument. There's been no falling out.

"The manager just explained that he thought it'd be better for me to do a hard session on Saturday, which I did. I did that. I understand that there's been a lot of reports, but it's not welcomed, and it's not true."

Rose added that despite his discontent at being left out, he does "respect [Pochettino's] views" and said he is "on the same page as the coaching staff" in wanting to win silverware this season.

Per Cross, the left-back raised eyebrows in the summer after expressing the belief he deserves higher wages and a desire to move up north in an interview with The Sun amid speculation he is wanted by Manchester United.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News took notice of his absence on Saturday:

The 27-year-old has only just returned from a 10-month injury absence, though, so perhaps a little too much has been read into Pochettino's decision to keep him out of a game as physical and intense as the north London derby.

Rose admitted after the Dortmund game he is far from full fitness:

"Before Dortmund I thought I was close, and then first half I was horrendous, I thought I was getting hooked at half-time, and it gave me a bit of a reality check, maybe I'm not as close as I thought I was.

"You can only get fit by playing games. There's only so many training sessions you can do. I'm not sure, I don't think I'm far off but I hope I can play as many more games to help me get there as quick as possible."

Spurs went in 1-0 down at half-time after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fired BVB ahead, but Rose played a key role in Harry Kane's equaliser four minutes into the second half by winning possession on the left.

Tottenham writer Chris Miller hailed Rose's improvement after the break:

Podcaster Ricky Sacks enjoyed seeing the England international showing solidarity with his team-mates after the match:

It's wholly possible Rose will move on next summer—and United could certainly use him in light of Luke Shaw's struggles to make the left-back position his own—but he's evidently committed to Tottenham and his frustration at being left out shows as much.

Pochettino appears to be managing Rose's return to action carefully, though, which is understandable given the length of time he's been out, and with the busy Christmas period fast approaching he's unlikely to be starting every game in the coming weeks.