Jose Mourinho criticises Giovani Lo Celso’s fitness despite goal and starring performance at Ludogorets

Lo Celso’s fitness was the main critique of his manager

Giovani Lo Celso celebrates after scoring for Spurs (EPA)

Jose Mourinho has criticised Giovani Lo Celso despite his goal and starring performance in Tottenham’s Europa League win over Ludogorets on Thursday night.

Harry Kane bagged his 200th goal for Tottenham Hotspur as they breezed to a 3-1 victory away to Bulgarian side.

Lo Celso’s fitness was the main critique of his manager, who said the midfielder is paying for his lack of preseason.

“Good with the ball and not very good without the ball,” was Mourinho’s verdict. "His physical condition is not good. He didn't have a pre-season.

"During the lockdown during the previous season he had problems - he didn't train in that period when other guys were training so he has been up and down in his preparation. So he's been coming now, step by step. 

"I feel that when he plays he's not the Gio that we know, not the Gio that we know that he can be an amazing player. But with the ball of course great criteria and he knows what he's doing of course, and understands the way we want to play. But we need more intensity to be fitter, to be more intense and to be stronger in the transitions.

“But of course he played more than an hour, and for that hour of course was a football match that we needed to win but it was also let's say a training session to improve his match fitness.”

After being criticised by manager Mourinho for last week's listless 1-0 defeat by Royal Antwerp, Tottenham were far sharper as they dominated the first half with Kane and Lucas Moura both on target.

Kane headed in Moura's corner after 13 minutes to reach another milestone for the club in his 300th appearance.

He then linked with Gareth Bale before laying on an easy finish for Moura in the 33rd minute.

Kane was rested for the second half and Claudiu Keseru halved the deficit with a goal for the hosts four minutes after the interval but Lo Celso restored Tottenham's two-goal cushion after an assist by substitute Son Heung-min.

Tottenham have six points from three games, level with Antwerp who face LASK later on Thursday.