Report: Tottenham Hope Dele Alli Will Play vs. Manchester City After Hand Injury

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly hopeful Dele Alli will be fit to face Manchester City in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

Alli was substituted in the first leg late on and was in clear discomfort after injuring his left hand. According to Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard, the England international has suffered a broken hand, although Spurs are hoping he can still be involved.

"He was assessed on Wednesday and the club are now exploring ways to ensure he can remain fit for the run-in, although he looks likely to sit out Saturday's visit of Huddersfield," continued the report. "Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend is playing with a protective cast after breaking his hand and Alli could play through the run-in with a similar setup."

The first leg was a memorable one for Spurs at their new stadium, as they produced a dogged performance to upset City 1-0.

After Sergio Aguero saw his first-half penalty saved by Hugo Lloris, Heung-Min Son scored with 12 minutes remaining to give the London club a lead in the tie (U.S. only):

There was a cost for Spurs from the game, though. Tottenham's star goalscorer Harry Kane picked up what appeared to be a nasty ankle injury and was videoed leaving the stadium on crutches:

Speaking about the forward, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said Kane will be out "maybe for the rest of the season."

While Son has shown he can perform to a high standard in attack when Kane is not available, Tottenham don't have anyone in the squad who can do a similar job to Alli.

The 23-year-old has a unique set of attributes, including being physical and aggressive playing off a centre-forward. In addition, Alli is technically brilliant and adept at ghosting into the penalty area to score goals.

The Match of the Day Twitter account summed up how productive he has been at Spurs since arriving:

Tottenham will likely be under pressure for long spells at the Etihad Stadium in the second leg, with City set to be much more attacking in their approach than they were on Tuesday.

However, if Spurs can nick a goal, City will need at least three of their own to qualify for the semi-finals.

Players like Alli are so valuable in these types of encounters, and it's why Tottenham will be desperate to get him on the pitch.