Lamela defends Spurs trio who looked short of fitness against Man Utd

Erik Lamela has hailed the effort and work rate of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Moussa Sissoko in the clash against Manchester United and insisted that they need more game time to get back to their best.

All three players were already sidelined with injuries when the season was suspended back in March but the extended break has afforded them the time they needed to recover.

However, there are question marks over their match fitness with Kane and Sissoko not being involved in a competitive match for almost six months when they took to the field against United.

There was some rustiness to their performances, with Kane’s lacklustre display in particular, concerning some Spurs fans.

However, Lamela has admitted that the players need to play more matches to reach their optimum level.

The 28-year-old told The Daily Mail: “I thought they (Kane, Sissoko and Son) did well. When you have had an injury it takes some time to get back to 100 per cent. But they gave everything.’

“It is difficult after two or three months without games to come back at full fitness.

“It is the start of a new period, like the start of a new season, and the first game back is always hard. I think everyone can do better.”

Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent has backed Lamela to start ahead of Dele Alli for the clash against West Ham, on the back of the Argentine’s performance against Man Utd (Football Insider).

When asked if a reshuffle of the attack can be expected when Alli returns from his one-match ban, Lamela responded: “That is a question for the manager, not us players. But everybody wants to play.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I feel too much has been made of Kane’s below-par performance against United. The striker always takes a few games to get into his stride, which is why he generally starts seasons slowly.

I do not doubt that he will be back to his best within the next two to three matches. Hopefully, he finds the back of the net against West Ham which serves to boost his confidence.

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