Tottenham Hotspur’s Erik Lamela missed much of last season with injury.
Lamela suffered a serious hip injury which kept him out for over a year, and he is intent on not worsening the problem again.
As a result, Lamela says that he can be driven crazy sometimes, as he cannot perform to the level he wants to in training.
But the Spurs winger insists that he is better off ensuring that he stays fit, rather than pushing himself too hard.
He said: “The club know how to manage me after a lot of time together.
“Sometimes I cannot go 80 per cent, even in training. I feel crazy sometimes but it’s like this.
“I try to train hard but to arrive to the game in a good condition and take care of myself.
“Normally we train really hard but I want to play the games — it’s more important than training.
“This is what we’re doing now and the manager and the staff, they take care of me and all the team.”
Lamela has forced his way into Mauricio Pochettino’s team at Tottenham this season with a series of excellent displays.
The Argentine was making a big impact off the substitutes’ bench, and was rewarded with a start against West Ham United at the weekend.
Lamela went on to score the only goal of the game for Spurs, to provide them with the three points.
The wide-man, who is on £70,000-a-week at Spurs (Daily Star), could now feature tomorrow evening, when Pochettino’s side take on PSV.
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