Pleat said: "His decision to play for Mali has not been confirmed. The matter is complicated. But it is a tester for him whether he wants to stay and fight.
"I don't think there is any way we can stop him going. We will have to see how the situation develops but obviously it is not in Freddie's or the club's interests for him to go."
Spurs were rocked by Mali coach Henri Stambouli's decision to name Kanoute in his preliminary squad for the tournament in Tunisia which begins on January 24.
Kanoute is believed to hold both French and Mali passports and with little chance of breaking into Jacques Santini's France squad, he has now opted for Mali.
Although Kanoute has played for the France Under-21 team, he is allowed to switch to Mali under FIFA rules.
Spurs are already bracing themselves for the loss of South Africa skipper Mbule lo Mabizela for the tournament but Kanoute's decision has come as a real blow. He could miss as many as five games at a crucial period of the season.
His decision is unlikely to go down well with the fans, some of whom made their feelings clear about it as the player left White Hart Lane yesterday amid protests that needed the intervention of stewards and police to prevent them from getting ugly
