London, June 18 (IANS) Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho on Thursday said striker Harry Kane will start in Friday’s Premier League clash at home to Manchester United after a six-month absence.
“The ones that had surgeries, Kane, Son and Sissoko have all recovered and are ready to play,” Mourinho told a news conference held via Zoom as shared on the club’s official website tottenhamhotspur.com.
“Kane is working extremely well, I can tell you no problem he is going to start the game. Does he have 90 minutes, 80, 70, 60? I don’t know. Only the game will tell us that.
“Is he in his top of his form? We don’t know. He’s had six months without a match but he’s an amazing professional,” added Mourinho who will be taking on the club that sacked him last season.
Along with England captain Kane, Son Heung-min and Moussa Sissoko were ruled out by injuries when the English Premier League was suspended three months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Tottenham are still hoping to qualify for the Champions League, having slipped to eighth in the standings, four points behind fifth-placed Manchester United and seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
“It would be amazing if we all started with the same number of points, but that’s not the case,” Mourinho said when asked about a top-four finish.
“We start minus seven or eight from Chelsea, and minus 13 from Leicester, we start minus too many teams.
“It’s a great challenge and motivation. At the end of the nine matches we will see what we did and what the others did.”
The veteran Portuguese tactician added that game to be played on Friday behind closed doors feels similar to the first game of the season.
“Only when we are on the pitch in these new circumstances will the players be able to feel and us to analyse it, so let’s wait for tomorrow,” Mourinho said.
“After more than two decades in football it’s hard for me to say something is new, but this is a new.”
–IANS
dm/pks