Tottenham's manager, Ange Postecoglou, emphasized that Eric Dier's absence from the team's 1-0 victory over Burnley was solely due to injury and not connected to speculation regarding a potential move to Bayern Munich.
Dier was not part of the squad as Pedro Porro's impressive 78th-minute goal secured Spurs' spot in the FA Cup fourth round after a hard-fought contest against Burnley.
Despite Dier entering the final six months of his contract at Tottenham, and reports of interest from Bayern Munich, Postecoglou was quick to dismiss any insinuations about the player's absence being linked to transfer rumors.
Postecoglou responded firmly to inquiries about Dier's fitness, stating, "Yeah, he's injured. He just pulled up sore and didn't train yesterday." When pressed about a possible connection to Bayern Munich, the manager snapped back, saying, "Separate issue, mate, but don't question my integrity. When I say he's injured, he's injured. It's got nothing to do with anything else."
Regarding potential transfer speculation, Postecoglou asserted, "Not on my radar. If there is something, I'm sure I'll hear of it, but fair to say in the last 24 hours, we've been focusing on the game and the guys that are available."
Spurs, missing captain Son Heung-min due to South Korea commitments, created numerous chances against Burnley. However, they lacked fluency in attack, and the match appeared headed for a replay until Porro's remarkable long-range strike secured the victory.
Despite Burnley's efforts, Tottenham held on to progress to round four. The victory, however, was marred by a further injury blow as Ben Davies limped off with a suspected hamstring injury.
Asked if losing Dier would be a concern given Davies' injury, Postecoglou replied, "Yes." On Davies' injury, he added, "Ben looks like he's done his hamstring. So, it looks like he will be out, and Gio (Lo Celso) has a bit of tightness, but hoping it is nothing."
Burnley's manager, Vincent Kompany, acknowledged the progress his team has made since their earlier 5-2 defeat to Spurs in September. He described the match as a battle and highlighted the improvement in their performances over the last 12 games. Despite the loss, Kompany emphasized the effort and chances created by his team but acknowledged the challenges in key moments.
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