Jose Mourinho has admitted that he will look to rotate his squad and manage his players’ workload as Tottenham enter an extremely difficult run of matches this month.
Tottenham have barely had an empty mid-week since the season began owing to their involvement in the Europa League.
Although Spurs do not have to worry about European football for the next couple of months, their domestic calendar is set to get much more hectic with games coming thick and fast.
Mourinho admitted that the upcoming period will be a big test of the squad’s strength since his side faces some tough matches in the coming weeks.
He told Football.London: “The Europa League is over now for a couple of months, but now is the accumulation of matches in the Premier League that, to be honest, are more difficult than the Europa League matches because the quality of the teams is higher in the Premier League,” said the Spurs boss.
“We also have a quarter-final to play at Stoke and Stoke is doing so, so well in the Championship.
“So many matches. Do we need to make rotations? Of course, we need to.”
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However, the Tottenham boss did admit that some players are fundamental to the team and thus have to be on the field in nearly every single match.
He added: “It is impossible for a player to play all these matches in a short period of time, of course, we need to do it and we have to do it but at the same time there are players that are really really unique and with some unique players in spite of the fact that the squad is very good we have to try to give them the most minutes possible because they can make a difference.”
Harry Kane and Son Heung-min undoubtedly fall into that ‘unique’ category as they have both started the season in blistering form and are producing the bulk of Tottenham’s attacking output.
When asked where they rank among the forwards he has managed in his career, the Spurs boss refused to draw any comparisons, simply reiterating that Son and Kane are world-class.
Mourinho said: “I don’t like to compare players, and some weeks ago I saw in some special media like I had chosen my all-time team. It’s completely fake because it’s something I always refuse to do,” he said.
“Never. I never tell who was my best goalkeeper, who was my best right-back, who was my best striker. I owe so much to my players that I would never say this is my favourite keeper, this is my favourite centre-back, this is my favourite striker. Never.
“I never do that. I don’t compare players. I’m just grateful to players that gave everything for me.
“Sonny and Kane, without comparing them with other players, they are, I repeat, world-class players. World-class players. I’m not saying anything different than that.”
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While it is possible that we could potentially see Doherty, Lucas, Bale and Lo Celso being thrown into the mix on occasions over the next few games, I believe we are likely to stick with more or less the same starting eleven that has worked so well for us in recent weeks. Mourinho is not someone who often changes a winning formula.
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