Mauricio Pochettino hopes Emmanuel Adebayor can return for Tottenham next week after striker flies home ahead of clash with Besiktas for 'personal reasons'

• Tottenham's Emmanuel Adebayor has left Istanbul to fly home to Togo
• He has been ruled out as sources insist a member of his family is ill
• Tottenham need only a point to finish top of their Europa League group 
• Adebayor has scored only twice in 12 appearances for Spurs this season
• Mauricio Pochettino says he will miss Sunday's clash with Swansea
• Kyle Walker will make his return from a nine-month abdominal injury 

By Sami Mokbel for MailOnline

Published: 11:39 EST, 10 December 2014 | Updated: 14:07 EST, 10 December 2014

Mauricio Pochettino hopes Emmanuel Adebayor will be able to return to Tottenham next week after the club allowed him to travel back to Togo for 'personal reasons'.

The Spurs boss has confirmed the striker has flown back to his homeland to clear up a personal matter, and sources close to Adebayor insist it is due to a seriously ill family member.

Pochettino expects Adebayor, who made the request to fly back home, to miss Sunday's visit to Swansea - but hopes the player can return to the club's north London HQ next week.

Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been allowed to fly home from Istanbul by the club 

Adebayor celebrates after scoring the opening goal for Tottenham against Newcastle in October 

Mauricio Pochettino says the striker will miss the clash with Swansea but hopes he can return next week

'I think that will be back before the Christmas period,' Pochettino said on Wednesday. 'We hope that he sorts his problem, I don't know how long he will be out but I hope he can start training soon.

'Yes, this is an important time, but we have to understand that players are people and need to fix problems.

'We know we have a lot of games, but the first thing is if the player is okay. We might miss three or four days of training with him but you win a lot because the problem is always in his mind and its difficult to break the cycle.'

The Premier League club are certain to qualify for the Europa League knockout stages from Group C, alongside their Turkish opponents, and avoiding defeat would ensure they finish top.

Adebayor has made 12 appearances for Spurs this season, but the former Arsenal frontman has not played since the November international break when Togo failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

While Adebayor has endured struggles on the field; he has also had problems off it. 

The 30-year-old Togolese forward has struggled for form in a Spurs shirt this season 

The former Arsenal striker shows his frustration during Tottenham's loss to Stoke in November 

Adebayor reacts after a near miss against Aston Villa as the forward continues to struggle for form 

In November, Adebayor's older brother Kola claimed the striker had been brainwashed by Islamic spiritual healers into thinking their mother used black magic to sabotage his form on the pitch.

Kola, 42, a truck driver based in Bremen, Germany, told the Sun on Sunday: '[Emmanuel] has been brainwashed by these Muslim alfas - spiritual men - who prophesise when he scores goals and why he is not playing well.

'They have convinced him his sister and mother put juju curses on him. My mother is very sad. Every day she is crying. I just talked to her on the phone and she was crying again.'

Stop doing Juju on me! Emmanuel Adebayor's radio interview

Adebayor was then moved to deny accusations from his sister Maggie that he had kicked their mum Alice out of his house in Africa because he thought she had performed curses on him.

Maggie claimed on radio station Peace FM in Ghana that the Premier League striker was refusing to give his mother money and has not seen her in over a year.

She said their mum was selling 'polythene bags, padlocks and other things' to provide for her family however the star says his mother left the house of her own accord.

Adebayor, takes on Algeria defender Essaid Belkalem for Togo during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations

Adebayor works out with family as he keeps fit pre-season...

Adebayor, speaking to Peace FM, said: 'I never sacked my mum from the house. She decided to leave the house.

'How am I going to be in touch with my mum if my mum is the one telling everyone that my work will not go forward, so I will just be on my side and do my thing.

'They should stop talking, they should stop doing Juju on me, they should leave me alone.

'I bought a $1.2million house in East Legon for the one talking and calling herself my sister. Can you imagine that sister went to rent the house without my knowledge?'

Meanwhile, as Sportsmail revealed, Kyle Walker will make his return from a nine month spell on the sidelines with an abdominal injury against Besiktas on Thursday.

Kyle Walker (right) has been sidelined for nine months, but will make his return against Besiktas on Thursday

Walker (centre) celebrates after scoring a goal against Manchester United on December 1, 2013

'It has been a difficult long term injury to cope with, both mentally and physically,' said Walker.

'I have had to dig deep. Luckily I have had my team mates and family around me to help me through.

'I came on to the scene in the 2010 season and I played a lot of games, barely missing one, before this injury.

'So while it has been very difficult for me, in some ways it has been good for me to take a step back, have a look at things and try to work on my game.

'Before when I was playing week in, week out I could not do that.'

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