Jose Mourinho has told Football London that Tottenham Hotspur’s Giovani Lo Celso needs to get fitter.
Lo Celso scored last night as Tottenham beat Ludogorets 3-1, and he linked up well with his teammates on occasion.
However, the £27 million Argentine (BBC Sport) didn’t offer Spurs enough when they didn’t have possession for Mourinho’s liking.
And the Portuguese boss admits that the Spurs playmaker needs to improve his fitness levels before he gets back up to his top level.
“Good with the ball and not good without the ball,” Mourinho said. “He is not in good physical condition. His preparation has been up and down. He is coming now step by step.
“I feel when he plays he’s not the Gio that we know and that we know he can be an amazing player.
“What he does with the ball we know is incredible but we need more intensity and better in the transitions. He played for an hour though and it was a good let’s say training session for his match fitness.”
Lo Celso’s impending return to full fitness is hugely exciting, as there is a feeling that Spurs will go to another level once he does get back up to speed.
Lo Celso could play alongside Tanguy Ndombele and Pierre Emile Hojbjerg in midfield, and the trio look like they could be hugely effective unit.
Mourinho has already suggested that Ndombele and Lo Celso cannot start together until they both improve their fitness levels though.
Spurs are next in action at the weekend against West Bromwich Albion but, despite his goal last night, it seems most likely that Lo Celso will drop down to the bench again.
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