‘Our squad is not big… I’m not going to give him a rest’: Jose Mourinho says ‘fundamental’ Harry Kane will not have a break over Christmas and admits Giovani Lo Celso is behind Dele Alli and Son Heung-Min in Tottenham pecking order after defeat at Bayern
- Top scorer Harry Kane did not travel with Spurs as they lost 3-1 at Bayern Munich
- Boss Jose Mourinho has said the match was secondary to Premier League games
- Mourinho revealed Giovani Lo Celso will be dropped for Sunday’s trip to Wolves
- The Portuguese admitted Dele Alli and Son Heung-min are ‘obvious’ first choices
Harry Kane only missed Tottenham’s Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich because ‘the result was secondary’ and will not be rested for Spurs’ run of three games in seven days around Christmas, Jose Mourinho has declared.
Lucas Moura played alone in attack as Spurs slumped to their first away defeat of the season in Europe with a 3-1 loss in Munich on Wednesday as Mourinho gave several key players a breather.
England captain Kane, who has scored six goals for Spurs in the Champions League this season, is expected to return as his side’s spearhead in the Premier League at Wolves tomorrow in the first of a string of tests for Tottenham before the end of the year.
Harry Kane was left in London for Tottenham’s 3-1 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich
Giovani Lo Celso (left) started in Munich while Dele Alli (centre) and Kane (right) were rested
Spurs coach Jose Mourinho (left) used the Bayern loss to learn more about his fringe players
Mourinho gave Troy Parrott the matchball after the 17-year-old striker made his debut during Tottenham’s 5-0 home win over Burnley last Saturday but admits the Republic of Ireland rookie is still learning his trade, pointing out: ‘Parrott is a 17-year-old boy that played five minutes in the Premier League.
“We’ll give him more time. He needs more time to develop and so, yes, Harry is fundamental for us.
‘Am I going to give Kane a rest on December 26 as we have a match after two days? No, I’m not going to give him a rest. There are matches and matches.
‘The Munich match was one of these ones when the result was secondary, but when the result is fundamental… number nine is Harry and Parrott.’
Mourinho alluded to a lack of depth in his squad and said Argentina winger Giovani Lo Celso, who set up Ryan Sessegnon’s goal against Bayern but was replaced after half-time, is behind Dele Alli and Son Heung-min in his thinking.
‘It looks obvious the way Dele is playing, Sonny… at this moment they are one step ahead,’ explained Mourinho.
‘I couldn’t hide from you that we have a few players one step ahead because of performance. So you want to be objective and ask if he starts Sunday? No, he doesn’t.
‘He’s our player. Our squad is not a big squad in numbers and he will start [future matches] for sure because it’s impossible to play all the time with the same players.’
Lo Celso scored Tottenham’s opener in their 4-0 win at Red Star Belgrade on November 6 but is yet to hit top form and has struggled with a hip injury that forced him to withdraw from the Argentina squad earlier this season.