Erik Lamela didn’t start for Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho has revealed to Tottenham Hotspur’s official website why he decided to drop Erik Lamela on Saturday.
Spurs are forced to wait before booking their spot in the last 16 of the FA Cup after Southampton grabbed a late equaliser in yesterday’s 1-1 draw at St Mary’s.
The 27-year-old winger has featured heavily under Mourinho since returning from a two-month absence with a hamstring problem in December.
But the Portuguese benched the former Roma star yesterday, claiming that he still has ‘pains’ from earlier injuries.
He told the Lilywhites’ official website: “By the needs of the team I started him more on the wing because Lamela… people sometimes, they don’t realise the efforts that players make. Lamela, from a long time without playing, he’s tired, he has pains from his previous injuries, so he couldn’t start today.”
Lamela, a £30 million signing in 2013 [The Telegraph], can definitely be a big asset for Mourinho.
During the early days of Pochettino’s reign in North London, the Argentina international was a very big player and seemed to carry out his ex-manager’s off-the-ball instructions implicitly.
Bear in mind, this was after he was slapped with the ‘flop’ label after struggling in an attacking sense, but Pochettino brought him back to life in an attacking and pressing sense and the former Inter coach can definitely use someone of his abilities – providing he stays fit.
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