Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that the mood at the club is not the one he wants going into the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Ajax tomorrow.
Hopefully the atmosphere will be buoyed by late fitness tests for Sissoko and Vertonghen having come through training today. There will be no other returning players according to PA Sport.
“Son is a very good player and very important for us. We will miss him but we have other players who can do a job. We have a very good squad and we arrive to play in our best. If we have him in the second leg & I hope Harry Kane to recover quickly.”
Luca Moura
On playing in a Champions League semi-final:
“It is an unbelievable feeling, it is a dream for when I was a child I had in my head to play in the Champions League and be in it and now I can play the semi-final. I am very happy, very proud of my team-mates.”
Lucas Moura
On scoring goals in the absence of Sonny and Kane?
“I don’t care who scores, I hope we win that is the most important.”
Lucas Moura
When it comes to goals, one man worth watching unfortunately plays for the visitors. Only Lionel Messi (13) has been directly involved in more Champions League goals this season than Ajax’s Dusan Tadic (9 – 6 goals, 3 assists).
Moura will have to do better than his recent showings against Brighton and West Ham.
In particular, the Brazilian’s performance against the Hammers was pretty dour. It will take take greater energy levels to beat this rested Ajax side.
My heart says a draw – my head says something less flattering
I can’t see it but we need Ajax to be below their best by some margin to get any result out of tomorrow’s game.I wanted Tadic when he was at Southampton,but Levy turned me down.Cross everything,this will be a bumpy ride.With the players we have out,we need a huge slice of luck,although I am happy to be proved wrong.
I fear our threadbare squad running on fumes will be shown up tomorrow night as we arrive at this semi in a pretty shambolic state, but the people responsible for this farcical situation, Levy and Enic, will, by and large, escape censure.