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Team news?
We are checking a couple of situations about Covid – and we’ll see. We are checking a couple of situations about Covid.
Players?
Players. Yeah.
Can you say who?
No, but we didn’t do this in the past and we’ll continue in the same way.
By a couple you mean two?
We are checking a couple of situations but we’re not sure 100 per cent that they’re going to miss the game.
Two or more than two?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Two.
It looks like Romelu Lukaku might not be available to play is that good news for Tottenham?
I think it’s always a good thing to play against a team that has all the players are available. For the people that watch the game, I think it’s good to see the best players on the pitch.
You know Lukaku. Do you have sympathy for this position and feel for him?
Honestly, I’d like to not speak about Romelu because Romelu now is a player of another team and I think it’d be disrespectful to speak about him and also about Chelsea.
Confident of game going ahead with Covid cases?
We are living with this situation, not only Tottenham but all the clubs. We have to be ready to find always the right solutions, the best solution for the team. For sure it’s not simple for any coach to change the plan you have in your mind, especially when you play many games in a short time. In your mind you make a plan in your mind and sometimes you arrive and players are positive so you have to totally change totally your plan. It’s not easy, but not only for me but all the managers here.
Are you looking forward to returning to Chelsea?
For me, for sure it’ll be great to come back to Stamford Bridge. It’s the first time after I left Chelsea as manager to come back to Stamford Bridge. I spent two amazing seasons, I created a lot of friendships at the club, we did a really important, good job and I enjoyed working there. Also because I have to thank Chelsea because they gave me the possibility to work in England and have my first experiences in England. Now, for sure, I’m the manager of Tottenham and I want to give this club 100 per cent and more to try to improve the team. It’ll be good and for sure I’ll have emotion to come back to Stamford Bridge.
Not many familiar faces left?
But as I said before, I spent two seasons where I created a good relationship with players, staff, people who work at Chelsea. We did a really good job and I think in my position I mustn’t prove anything to anyone. I’m a manager that has experience and continues to have experience in my career and do important jobs at other teams. It’ll be a pleasure for me to come back to Stamford Bridge because I spent two important seasons with Chelsea and left a lot of good relationships with the players who continue to play for Chelsea. It’ll be good for me to see them.
Important to win a trophy?
Yeah I think that for everyone it’s always very important to win trophies – for the club, for the players, for the managers. On one hand, I have to tell you this. On the other, I think you have to build to win trophies. You can win trophies by speaking and saying you want to win. But then you have to be good and build something ready to win. I think at this moment, Chelsea is more ready than us to win. They won last season the Champions League. I think we have a lot of space for improvement, to be a team with aspiration to win. Then for sure, we’ll do everything to reach the final of this trophy. But I repeat: to use this verb or word ‘to win’ is more simple than winning because to win you have to build something important, be solid, have an important squad. Then you’re ready to win. Otherwise you have to hope. To hope in your work you’re doing and hope to do something outstanding.
How are Ryan Sessegnon & Steven Bergwijn in terms of their injuries and could they be involved on Wednesday?
Ryan Sessegnon’s situation is better than Steven Bergwijn’s. I think he’s almost ready to be available in the next game, in the FA Cup he’ll be available. For Steve, I think we have to pay a bit more attention because his problem was in the calf, where you have to pay more attention and wait a bit before we have him available again.
Does Covid impact January outgoings?
Covid or no Covid, if you have to do something, you have to do. Not because there’s Covid or not Covid. On this topic, we’ll try to take the best decision with the club and see what we can do.
Players waiting on a PCR test tomorrow?
Yeah but we have to check and also during the day, if there are new positives or not, we’re checking a couple of situations. Then tomorrow we’ll see which players are available to play against Chelsea.
Are you expecting any transfer business to happen fairly soon?
No, but my expectation is to speak with my club and then to tell them my opinions. This is only my expectation and then the club knows after I speak to club, they will make the decisions they want to make. I repeat I’m a manager and I’m in a position where I have to make evaluations. It’s happened and now I’m waiting to speak with the club to tell my opinion that the club has to take the best decision for the present, for the future and this situation is very simple.
