This archive report was first published on 18 June 2020.
Published on June 18, 2020, Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Harry Kane, Moussa Sissoko, and Son Heung-min will start against Manchester United in their Premier League return on Friday.
Spurs have arguably benefited the most from the three-month coronavirus-enforced hiatus, with several key players returning from injury. However, they face an uphill battle in their bid to qualify for the Champions League, sitting seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and four behind United in fifth.
Spurs will hand a fitness test to Giovani Lo Celso, while Jan Vertonghen will be involved despite his contract expiring on June 30. Mourinho expressed concerns about Lo Celso's injury, which he said was not properly treated during the lockdown due to the rules in place.
“Because of the rules, his injury is not an injury in need of surgery but needed treatment and daily treatment, needed close contact with physios and fitness coaches working with him but that was not possible,” said Mourinho.
Vertonghen is reportedly set to leave Spurs, but Mourinho hopes to agree a deal for the Belgium defender to stay until the end of the campaign.
Spurs will be without Dele Alli after he was handed a one-match ban for a social media post mocking coronavirus. Mourinho felt the punishment was harsh, citing several high-profile misdemeanours from other players during the lockdown.
