MADRID (AFP) - Mauricio Pochettino will wait until the last minute to decide whether Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is fit enough to face Liverpool in the Champions League final on Saturday (June 1).
Kane has said he feels ready to start in Madrid, despite not playing since damaging ankle ligaments in the quarter-finals against Manchester City last month.
Asked in a press conference on Friday if Kane would play, Pochettino said: "I don't know. We have one training session left and then we are ready to decide."
If Pochettino picks Kane, it would deliver a significant boost to Spurs but they have survived without him, after Lucas Moura scored an incredible second-leg hat-trick to knock out Ajax in the semis.
"It is not going to be easy to take a decision tomorrow," Pochettino said.
"We have all the information and we know every single detail. To try to win, you can only use 11 players, that is the most painful situation."
Pocxhettino had lobbied to include all his players in the official pre-match on-field photo.
"I proposed a few weeks ago that the whole squad do a picture together before the game and I think UEFA have listened.
"We talk about the value of the game - many things have happened in England, a lot of problems, and tomorrow we have one billion people watching and we can show the value of football.
"I think tomorrow is about showing togetherness and it is a great chance to show the value of a collective sport."
Tottenham have reached their first ever European Cup or Champions League final, while Liverpool are bidding to win the tournament for a sixth time after losing to Real Madrid in the final last year.
Spurs' run is the greater surprise after dramatic, late goals against Manchester City and Ajax put them within sight of the trophy, despite not signing a single player in the last two transfer windows.
"To be here, with everything falling for us, it means the praise comes a lot and the team feels strong at the end of the season," Pochettino said.
'IF YOU BELIEVE'
"The club couldn't sign players, it's true, we could not open the new stadium until a month ago and we had to play at Wembley, as well feeling the effects of the World Cup.
"All these things have given us strength, they have made us better, more creative. If you believe, and you have faith, and you work hard, you can have rewards."
Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris is bidding to win both the Champions League and World Cup within 10 months, after he triumphed with France in Russia last summer.
"It is a privilege to be part of these two teams," Lloris said. "To win the World Cup with my country was a massive achievement but it couldn't be possible without the help of my teammates and it is the case again in this final.
"I think we have a good mix of experienced players and young players and they need to follow the leaders, first the manager and then the team's leaders.
"And then we just need to be ready because it is a fantastic game to play. It's going to be about small details. They can be decisive."
Football: Returning Ozil has Arsenal future says Emery
Mon 08 April 2019, 11:10 | Tottenham Hotspur Tickets are now on general sale for both of our International Champions Cup (ICC) matches in Asia this summer. First up, we take on Juventus in Singapore on 21 July.
Spurs Tour - tottenhamhotspur.com
Messi torments Liverpool with 600th Barca goal in 3-0 win Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Champions League semifinal, first leg, soccer match between FC Barcelona and Liverpool at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, May 1, 2019.
Messi torments Liverpool with 600th Barca goal in 3-0 win
Atletico denied long-awaited win over Barca, Eibar stun Real. EIBAR, Nov 25 — Atletico Madrid came within a whisker of their first league win over Barcelona in eight years yesterday only for Ousmane Dembele to dash their hopes with a dramatic equaliser in injury-time.
Sevilla keep pressure on Real, Barca with win; Atleti snatch
Football News -SINGAPORE - Dear Yoshida-san, welcome to Singapore.. restore the Lions' semangat, boleh? Tatsuma Yoshida was unveiled as Singapore's new national football coach on May 30, 2019
Football: Yoshida-san, restore the Lions' semangat, boleh
sportstoft.com/soccer/football-yoshida-san-restore-the-lions-semangat-boleh/
Agreeing to the initial two-year contract means you are essentially saying boleh, that you can deal with all these constraints and challenges and try and establish for the Lions a football identity that has been missing for years.
Football: Yoshida-san, restore the Lions' semangat, boleh?
Football: West Ham leave it late to see off spirited Huddersfield LONDON (REUTERS) - Substitute Javier Hernandez scored a late brace including a stoppage-time winner to help West Ham United beat Huddersfield Town 4-3 in a roller-coaster Premier League clash on Saturday (March 16).
West Ham leave it late to see off spirited Huddersfield
Now we know hat division we are in lets do the annual see who we would keep. A few assumptions. 1) AL has no significiant funds. 2) Loanees like Daniel Iversen we are unlikely to be able to afford, and probably wouldnt re-sign for us, but the sign or release is based on performance not likelihood
Keep up Synonyms, Keep up Antonyms | Thesaurus.com
WOLFSBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Germany's new-look team made a promising return to the international stage with a 1-1 draw against Serbia in a friendly on Wednesday, showing signs of improvement
New-look Germany make promising start with Serbia draw ahead
Liverpool — Centreback Virgil van Dijk is back in training but remains doubtful for the Premier League leaders' home match against Leicester City at Anfield on Wednesday. Liverpool manager
Van Dijk a doubt for Leicester game - Klopp | FOX Sports Asia
PAUL POGBA has sent a message of support Moise Kean's way following the sickening racial abuse the forward received during Juventus' match against Cagliari on Tuesday night.
Cher is back on the charts with 'Woman's World' | Crime News
PSG's first goal, the one that led to such a fractious reception thereafter, was created by Di Maria. It was from his corner on the right side, which he swung in with his left foot, that PSG profited.
Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City must beat Liverpool on Thursday (Friday morning, AEDT) to sustain their English Premier League title bid. City shook off consecutive defeats to coast past Southampton 3-1 at St Mary's on Sunday, with David Silva and Sergio Aguero
We must beat Liverpool to stay in title race: Guardiola
England soccer captain Harry Kane received the MBE award on Thursday for services to football after leading the national team to the World Cup semi-final in Russia last Summer. Prince William, the
England soccer captain Kane honoured at Buckingham Palace
Vertonghen to see neurologist over head injury AFP May 1, 2019 AFP No Comments London (AFP) - Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen will see a neurologist on Thursday after suffering a horrific head injury during his side's Champions League semi-final defeat against Ajax.
0 comments:
Post a Comment