This archive report was first published on 28 December 2019.
Jose Mourinho, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, is hopeful that midfielder Tanguy Ndombele will return to action against Norwich on Saturday.
Ndombele, who joined the club in a club-record transfer worth 70 million euros ($79 million, Sh8 billion, £63 million) from Lyon, had expressed concerns about his fitness and was left out of the squad for the Boxing Day win over Brighton.
However, after training with the team, Mourinho is optimistic that Ndombele will be ready to play against Norwich, which could help fill a midfield gap caused by the absence of Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko, who are both serving bans.
"I think Ndombele was honest. Football players like to play football," Mourinho said, explaining Ndombele's decision to sit out the Brighton match.
"For him to say, 'I don't feel confident, I don't feel in the best condition due to my previous injuries', he was just being honest," Mourinho added.
Meanwhile, Erik Lamela, who has been sidelined since October with a hamstring injury, has shown his commitment to the team by offering to play against Brighton if needed.
"Lamela, he was fantastic," Mourinho said. "He came to me and said, 'I think you need me because you are in trouble with injuries, suspensions, no Sonny. If you want me I am there. If you need me for 10 or 15 minutes I'm there'".
Spurs beat Brighton 2-1 to move to within three points of fourth-placed Chelsea, and could draw level on points with their London rivals if they win at Carrow Road before Chelsea's next game on Sunday.
