Mauricio Pochettino has told Tottenham not to use the absence of Harry
Kane and Son Heung-min or tiredness after a draining campaign as an excuse for
not making the Champions League final for the first time in the club’s history.
Kane headlines a lengthy injury list also including Erik Lamela and
Harry Winks for Tuesday’s semi-final, first leg at home to Ajax, while Son is
suspended.
But having upset the odds to end Manchester City’s quest for a quadruple
of trophies in the quarter-finals, manager Pochettino insisted Spurs’ strength
as a collective can overcome Ajax’s talented group of rising stars.
“To be in a Champions League semi-final is something I dreamed about.
You need to settle your dreams, to infinity and beyond,” Pochettino said at his
pre-match press conference on Monday ahead of Tottenham’s first European Cup
semi-final since 1962.
“The chance to play a semi-final for Tottenham has not happened often.
We are in a circumstance that is not going to change and we must be ready
“It is impossible to be tired, impossible to not be excited to play. I
am sure there is no doubt we will have the energy for 90 minutes.”
However, while Pochettino’s stretched squad were slipping to a sixth
defeat in their last 10 Premier League games to West Ham on Saturday, Ajax have
had a full week to rest as the entire Dutch league calendar for the weekend was
postponed to allow them extra time to prepare.
“The team is good. We are very fit, very eager and very fresh. We can
certainly perform at our best,” said Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.
Without Kane, who is not expected to return this season unless Spurs
make it to the Champions League final on June 1, Tottenham’s goals have dried
up since a thrilling 4-3 defeat in the second leg of their quarter-final at
City was enough to progress on away goals.
Christian Eriksen’s late strike to secure a 1-0 victory over Brighton on
Tuesday was Spurs’ only goal in their past three games.
Son’s absence means Pochettino is robbed of another goal threat, with
Lucas Moura and Fernando Llorente his only striking options.
However, the Argentine said Spurs’ teamwork can compensate for that lack
of firepower.
“I think the point is that we arrive where we are now because we were a
team and we are going to be a team,” he said.
“I don’t care who is going to score. Always it’s an issue to not have
all the players fit, but in front of any name was the team, the collective.”
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