“I know Manchester United has only two good players and if we can handle them very well then we’ll win”: Tottenham Hotspur coach Ange Postecoglou has named TWO Manchester United’s players who are a nightmares to opponent’s defenders
Spurs have a rare week without midweek action after back-to-back cup defeats.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange
Postecoglou has decided to give first team players ‘three or four’ days off ahead of clashes with Manchester United and Ipswich Town, despite a recent rotten run of form for the north London outfit.
Spurs were dumped out of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup in just a few days last week following defeats to Liverpool and Aston Villa. Postecoglou’s side have won just two of their last eight top flight outings and languish 14th in the top flight. Spurs will look to bounce back against Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday before making the trip to struggling Ipswich Town next weekend.
Despite the unconvincing performances against Liverpool and Aston Villa, Postecoglou has confirmed that first team stars will be given days away from training after a hectic fixture schedule. The club has been hit with an injury crisis this season, meaning that fully fit players have racked up the minutes and needed to work double time.
Postecoglou gives Spurs stars days off
Tottenham Hotspur don’t have a midweek game since the turn of the year and Postecoglou confirmed that players would be allowed to recover as a result. He said: “I am just going to keep working like I have. We’ve got to give them some time off in the early part of the week.
“The boys who are coming back we have got an opportunity to give them a full week of training which is great. Come Tuesday, we should have three or four who have been missing. We can give them a full week of training rather than just throwing them in.
“By the time we get to the end of the week we will have something resembling a squad of players to prepare for a big game. That folds into the following week because again we have got seven days to prepare for the next game.
“That gives us a good opportunity to get some work into the guys who have been out for a while and give some rest of the guys who have been going at it. By the time we get back to Europe and midweek games, we will be in much better shape.”
Manchester United’s injury news
Manchester United would appear unlikely to recover any of their injured players for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Tottenham.
United beat Leicester 2-1 in the FA Cup last time out and have since been afforded an extended break, although that may not help Ruben Amorim bolster his options.
Lisandro Martinez faces an extended period out of action due to a serious knee injury, while Luke Shaw recently suffered a new setback in training.
Neither of Mason Mount nor Jonny Evans are expected back in action, leaving the United boss with only the options he had last week.
Alejandro Garnacho could come back into the starting lineup, having started on the bench against Leicester. January signing Patrick Dorgu may be handed a first League start.
