What's the latest team news?
Tomorrow we have another training session and we will see but it will be very difficult to have some returning for the game against United. You know the injury about Richarlison. He is doing a scan, an MRI and then we will see how many times he needs to recover but for sure against United he is not available.
Will Richarlison miss the World Cup?
No, absolutely not. No, I can confirm this, that the player is not risking to not play at the World Cup. Absolutely.
What's the latest on Dejan Kulusevski?
Kulusevski is working. We will see, we will see. We have to go day by day with him and the medical department are working a lot to try to recover him but we don't know for the game against United.
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It's Spurs' best start since 1964 after 10 games, what would it take to start talks over a new contract for you?
No I think my contract is not in this moment important. The most important thing is to try to prepare for the game very well for the period, especially the next two games. We have to play United away, against Newcastle, who yesterday played an amazing game at Old Trafford and then we have a big match against Sporting Lisbon. I think for now we have to be focused and to have all our concentration on these three games. Then I repeat yeah, I have to speak to the club and I will speak to the club about this situation and we will find the best solution for everybody.
What made the difference this season?
I think compared to last season, you can see more stability in this team. In every game we go into the pitch with the will, with the desire that there is the possibility to get three points and win the game. Then it can happen in one game, like Arsenal, that you can lose but in every game I think my players feel the possibility to try to fight to get three points. This has to be our target in every game to make difficult the life of our opponent. It was a good start for us but we know very well we have to continue in this way and it is important to start but the most important thing is the way to finish at the end of the season.
What are your thoughts on Erik Ten Hag?
Honestly I don't know him very well because we have never played against. He did very well with Ajax and for sure he has taken a great job for United because United is one of the best teams in the world. He is trying to bring his ideas into the pitch and I think also the club back him in the transfer market. Like other managers and coaches he needs time to work and to try to improve his team.
Is Lucas fit enough to start against Manchester United?
Lucas Moura can, yeah, be a possibility, Gil can be a possibility, Perisic like in a three like a striker is a possibility. I have another training session to make the best decision. You know we like to play with a 3-4-3 with the three strikers and if we can't change, I prefer to continue to play with the 3-4-3 otherwise we find a solution. I think we have the possibility to continue to play with the 3-4-3.
How much of a relief will it be for Richarlison to know he can play in the World Cup having been in tears on Saturday?
It's an injury but not so serious. He has a problem in his calf. I think he needs a bit of time to recover and then to be fit. I hope for him to play other games with us before the World Cup but for sure the injury is not so serious. I'm happy for the player because to play in the World Cup is the dream for every single player and for this reason I am happy for him. Also we're talking about a player that when he goes to play he gives you everything.
You gave Matt Doherty a big hug on Saturday and seemed to be shouting in his ear as he smiled, what changed for him this week to return to the player you knew?
About Matthew, he needed time, time to recover well. On the physical aspect and I think also with the mental aspect, because last season Matthew started the season struggling a lot and then when he started to play he played very well and he had an amazing season in my opinion.
He took a lot of confidence in his potentiality. What happened for sure if your feeling is good, you feel yourself strong.
Then it happened a serious injury and he struggled a lot to recover from this injury. During the training sessions, the player didn't feel the same confidence of the past and in my opinion for this reason he needed more time to be fit and to be good, to have good form.
Now he came back and I'm really pleased for him. It was really important also for him to go with the international team and play two games in a row. Then he played against Brighton, he played a good game. Then in the last game he played really well.
I'm really happy for him because we are talking about a really good guy and especially also a player who needs to feel confidence in himself.
Have you decided yet what you're doing from next month with the players not going to the World Cup?
I gave my idea to the club. For sure I think every team will go to have a bit of rest 10 days, two week, every team and then you need to make the best solution.
Then I would like to go to a place where the temperature is good, to stay there and have good training sessions and wait for the players to come back from the World Cup, but at the same time you have understand if the club can help me to do it or we have to stay in London but for sure I gave them my idea.
How highly do you rate Cristiano Ronaldo?
I think I am the last person to make this question, because last season he scored a hat-trick against us! And fingers crossed… We are talking about an amazing player, a top player, in my opinion, we are talking about a player, that continues to make the difference for the team that he is playing for. Cristiano with Messi, they made the story of football in the last 10 years, in the last 15 years.
I think every single word is not good enough to explain the greatness of these players. I have great admiration for Cristiano, for his professionalism, but I hope tomorrow to stay calm, not like last season, when he scored three goals. We lost 3-2, but we lost against him, not against United last season. I remember very well, because we played a very good game, and he solved the situation a lot.
So fingers crossed then?
Yes!
Kulusevski had his scan on Friday, is it the same hamstring injury as before?
The same injury, yeah. I think the medical department are working to recover him. But at the same time, sometimes there are situations that you have to go a bit slowly. And not to accelerate the process. Because sometimes if you accelerate the process, you risk only to worsen the situation.
For this reason, we need to have patience. The player is important in this moment, in this period, to help us. Because his feeling is so important. We hope to have him in the squad very, very soon. Because you know very well, Deki is an important player for us. Richy is another important player for us. We need to play many games in a short period of time. We need to have the whole squad available.”
Are you tempted to stick with 3-4-3?
Yeah, yeah, because, I repeat, in my idea, we worked a lot with this system, with this formation. Lucas Moura now is recovering from his injury. Also Gil is making big progress. And then I have Ivan Perisic, he can play like a striker. He did this in the past. And he can do it again on Wednesday.
With Christian Eriksen, did you consider taking him back?
I don’t want to speak about player of other team. For sure, Christian is a player, I enjoy to work with him. He’s a player that I would like to train him again, to have in my squad. But you know very well, transfer market is very difficult and I think he made a big choice, a big choice to go to United, to sign for three years of contract. For him, I wish the best for him, for his family. Apart from the game against us! Then for the rest of the season, to be always the best on the pitch.
Were you close to signing him?
Now it’s not important to tell yes or not, you understand. But for sure I think Christian was a player that every club tried to bring into the team.
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