Poch: Adebayor not training with youth team

Adebayor has not featured for Tottenham's senior side since the second leg of their League Cup semi-final with Sheffield United in late January.

But speaking ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash at relegation-threatened London rivals QPR, Pochettino said: "Always he [Adebayor] trains with the first team. Is he part of my plans? Yes. Yes, all the players are with us in the first team."

Tottenham are six points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United in the race for UEFA Champions League football and will need to be defensively sound against a QPR team featuring striker Charlie Austin, who has scored 15 goals this season.

"It's not easy because maybe seven or eight teams fight for it [the top four]," Pochettino added. "We need to go step by step, improve in our philosophy.

"We are in a good process. My worry now is always to improve. To learn and improve.

"We expect a very tough game. QPR are a strong team, they are playing at home and it will be a very difficult game. It's a local derby and the three points will be important for them and for us.

"Charlie Austin is a very good player, he has scored a lot of goals. We need to focus on him and [Bobby] Zamora, who is another good player."