SM
Watford vs. Leeds: 14 hrs 3 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Jose Mourinho: 'Giovani Lo Celso can be an amazing player'

:Headline: Jose Mourinho: 'Giovani Lo Celso can be an amazing player': ID:421459: from db_amp
The Argentina international midfielder has struggled with injuries.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho says Giovani Lo Celso has the potential to be an "amazing player" once he can get in peak physical condition.

Lo Celso is another exciting player in Spurs' vast attacking armoury, but he has struggled with injuries over the last six months and Mourinho says they are not seeing the best of him.

He scored during Thursday's 3-1 win over Ludogorets in the Europa League on Thursday and got more than 70 minutes under his belt.

The Argentina international, who will head to South America next week for national team matches, is likely to be on the bench for Sunday's Premier League clash at West Brom.

"His physical condition is not good. He didn't have a pre-season," Mourinho said. "During the lockdown during the previous season he had problems – he didn't train in that period when other guys were training so he has been up and down in his preparation.

“His physical condition is not good. He didn't have a pre-season”
- Jose Mourinho on Giovani Lo Celso

"So he's been coming now, step-by-step. I feel that when he plays he's not the Gio that we know, not the Gio that we know that he can be an amazing player.

"But with the ball of course great criteria and he knows what he's doing of course, and understands the way we want to play.

"But we need more intensity to be fitter, to be more intense and to be stronger in the transitions.

"But of course he played more than an hour (on Thursday) and for that hour, of course, was a football match that we needed to win. But it was also let's say, a training session to improve his match fitness."

Spurs can go top of the Premier League with victory at the Hawthorns, if only for a couple of hours, if they beat a West Brom side struggling to adapt to life back in the top division.

Slaven Bilic's West Brom are struggling (Glyn Kirk/PA)

Baggies boss Slaven Bilic is coming under pressure, with reports that Lee Bowyer is being lined up as a replacement.

Mourinho said: "I don't know if he is under pressure or not. If he is, it is difficult to understand because he has helped the club in such a difficult position after being relegated.

"He brought them back to the Premier League and we started the season just a couple of months ago. It is also a strange league at the moment.

"You win a game you are up in the table, you lose one and you are back down again. So I really don't understand why he is under pressure, if that is the case.

"But he is a big boy and he has a lot of experience which can help his club and I am sure he can cope with anything he has to deal with."

amp_article__421459 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2020-11-07 10:06:13:
html db last update - 2021-03-10 21:03:57 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Jose Mourinho

Click here for more stories about Tottenham Hotspur

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .