Jose Mourinho claims Tottenham can only prioritise one of their next two games
Spurs visit Burnley on Saturday evening before heading to RB Leipzig needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit to keep their Champions League hopes alive
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Tottenham Hotspur head coach Jose Mourinho says he will only be able to prioritise one of his side’s next two games.
Spurs visit Burnley on Saturday evening in what is a vital match in their bid to reach the Premier League top four, before heading to RB Leipzig needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
They are in the midst of four games in 10 days and are battling an injury crisis that is keeping Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Moussa Sissoko, Ryan Sessegnon and Hugo Lloris out, while Erik Lamela is unable to train and only fit for the bench.
After his patched-up side crashed out of the FA Cup on Wednesday, losing on penalties to Norwich after the match ended 1-1 after 120 minutes, Mourinho said he was unable to give both games his best attention.
“In this moment I am really sad for the players and the fans, but I am thinking already about what next and I am really, really worried about playing in two days,” Mourinho, who defended Eric Dier for climbing into the stands to confront a fan arguing with his brother following Wednesday’s match, said.
“Trying to give my boys a chance to go to Leipzig with a maximum of conditions to fight against a fresh team, a team with incredible solutions and options and rotations.
“I have to think about a Saturday match and a Tuesday match and try to decide which one is the priority and which one is the one where I can give some of my boys under huge fatigue the best possible chance.”
Without any recognised strikers, barring an untried 18-year-old Troy Parrott, Mourinho has been flogging Dele Alli, Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura and all three had to come off against the Canaries.
“I have to say that Bergwijn, Lucas, Dele, all of them they told me I can’t carry on. I’m completely dead,” Mourinho added.
“Other players on the pitch they were also in big trouble. For example (Giovani) Lo Celso was in big trouble and was absolutely phenomenal.”
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