Europa League: Emmanuel Adebayor to miss Tottenham's Besiktas clash due to personal reasons

Emmanuel Adebayor will miss Thursday's Europa League tie against Besiktas after Tottenham allowed him to return home to Togo.

In a brief statement on their website, the club said: "We can confirm that Emmanuel Adebayor has been given permission to return home for personal reasons. This is a private matter and so we will not be providing any further comment."

The Londoners are certain to qualify from Group C along with their Turkish opponents, and avoiding defeat would ensure they finish top.

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Adebayor has not played for Tottenham since a 2-1 home defeat by Stoke on November 9, having suffered since with back and hamstring complaints as well as a virus.

And he has flown to Africa with the blessing of manager Mauricio Pochettino, who told Sky Sports News HQ: "It's a private issue - he needs time, and we hope in the next few days he'll sort out his problems."

Pochettino was asked at a pre-match press conference about the inconvenience of losing a first-team player so close to the busy Christmas programme.

He said: "Yes, it is an important time but we need to understand that the players are people. They need to fix when family matters happen. If not, it is difficult to give their best.

"After, yes, we know we have ahead a lot of games. It is a very busy period, but the first thing always is if you are okay, if you are ready, if you are in your mind clear.

"Maybe we lose three or four days in training, but you win a lot because if not the problem is always in his mind and it is difficult to break this cycle."