The 24-year-old last played for Tottenham Hotspur at the beginning of December

Eric Dier will remain absent for Tottenham Hotspur when Manchester United make the trip to Wembley Stadium this weekend.

The utility man has not featured for Spurs since the 2-0 win at Leicester City in the Premier League on December 8.

Dier had surgery to remove his appendix last month after a bout of appendicitis and is still not ready for a return to first-team action.

He joined in with training this week, but Sunday’s clash against the Red Devils will come too soon for the England international.

Elsewhere, Spurs will have to assess Lucas Moura after the winger suffered a problem with his knee in the 7-0 victory at Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup on January 4.

Victor Wanyama is still out, despite progressing to late stages of rehabilitation, and so he will not face United.

Mauricio Pochettino will also not select Mousa Dembele (ankle) as he remains short of match fitness.

Jan Vertonghen is available now and could be involved in the match day squad, but a start seems unlikely given the magnitude of the fixture and the form of fellow Belgian Toby Alderweireld, who has shone alongside a number of different partners recently.