Tottenham manager is not buying a Premier League title rival in trouble after a string of unfortunate fitness setbacks
Jose Mourinho has started to ignite the flames ahead of Tottenham’s crunch clash with Liverpool at Anfield. The Portuguese trash claims the Reds are suffering from an injury crisis.
For the Spurs boss, his counterpart, Jürgen Klopp, only has one “major injury”.
He admits that the Dutch international Virgil van Dijk is unlikely to be replaced as the Dutch defender has been out since October with a knee ligament injury.
Klopp has since lost Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara, James Milner and Diogo Jota to unfortunate blows, putting Liverpool’s squad to the test.
However, the champions of the Premier League have invested heavily in ensuring they have the strength they need in depth.
With that in mind, and since Klopp still has an abundance of riches at his disposal, Mourinho is not buying that the Reds are in trouble.
He told reporters ahead of a meeting between the top two players in the Premier League on Wednesday: “Give me the Liverpool injury list and compare it to the best Liverpool team.
“Liverpool have a big injury, Van Dijk.”
Tottenham have struggled with their own injuries this season. Gareth Bale wasn’t in full swing after his return from Real Madrid to north London.
Mourinho asked if the Welshman could play against Liverpool and said: “We still have a training session. Yesterday (Monday) he didn’t train with the team, he trained inside. Right now I would say no, but we’ll see. “
While a lack of sharpness keeps Bale on the sidelines, English midfielder Harry Winks sees fierce competition for places that denied him regular time.
When asked if the 24-year-old was looking for an explanation for his lack of minutes, Mourinho said, “Yes, he came to me. Not just him. Lots of players come to me.
“I have my office on the first floor and a little space on the first floor next to the dressing room to make it easy for you. Yes, Winks came to speak to me, yes. “
Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso are among those who keep winks out, with this pair battling each other for a spot.
Mourinho clicked on this call-out, which received a nod to a French international, and said: “It’s not difficult. Difficult when you don’t have one of them.
“Can you play together? Yes. The physical condition for both is very important. To play with the two of them you need to be fit and play with the right intensity. And they will.
“I’m not saying tomorrow or Sunday or next week but they will play together. It’s not a problem when I grow up and play pretty well. “