Giovani Lo Celso’s Tottenham return delayed after minor fitness setback

Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I
Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP10 March 2021

Giovani Lo Celso has suffered a minor setback in his return to fitness and is not ready to return against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday.

The Tottenham midfielder has not played since being forced off with a hamstring injury in the 2-0 defeat to Leicester on December 20.

Lo Celso returned to training last month which raised the prospect of a return in the north London derby against Arsenal on March 14.

But Jose Mourinho has revealed a back issue is causing Lo Celso some discomfort and he is out of Thursday’s Europa League clash with Dinamo Zagreb.

Mourinho said: "Gio is not ready but it's nothing to do with his previous important injury, from which he's totally recovered.

“But with his accumulation of work he's got a bit of back pain so he's had to stop what he's doing. So, not [available] for this match.”

Mourinho added: “Apart from that, Joe Rodon the only player not selected because he is not in the UEFA list. Apart from that every player is selected.

“As you know we can have two extra players on the Europa League bench and everybody is selected and everybody is fit.

“Am I going to repeat the same team that played against Crystal Palace? No, I’m going to make a few changes. But the team is working very well, everybody is training hard, everybody is pushing to play, so for me it doesn’t matter who is playing as our team is going to be strong.”

Gareth Bale has scored six times in as many matches but could be rested against the Croatian side after starting three League matches last week, with Mourinho revealing he was working closely with the 31-year-old to manage his minutes.

“I want the momentum to keep going but we have to manage him,” Mourinho said.

“The communication is very good, I believe he trusts me. I trust his experience and judgement and his knowledge of his body and at the moment we’re deciding together what to do.

“The other day during the match I found Andre Marriner the fourth official laughing at us because he found my conversation with Gareth funny during the match. We were looking at each other saying, ‘How many more minutes? 5 minutes more or 10?’

“We were making the decisions together. Marriner was laughing at it. Gareth, the relationship is very good, he is playing well, of course I’d like him to be on the pitch for 90 minutes of every match but it’s not possible.”

The Portuguese added: “The team is working very well, everybody is training hard, everybody is pushing to play, so for me it doesn’t matter who is playing as our team is going to be strong.”

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