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Dec 24 (Reuters) – Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso is unlikely to play until the new year after injuring his hamstring against Leicester City at the weekend, manager Jose Mourinho has said.
The Argentine had to come off as soon as the second half got underway in Sunday’s 2-0 home loss and the 24-year-old will miss the festive fixtures when Spurs play three times in seven days.
But midfielder Tanguy Ndombele is available after missing the 3-1 win at Stoke City in Wednesday’s League Cup quarter-final.
“Gio no, he will not be fit,” Mourinho told reporters ahead of Sunday’s trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“I don’t know (when he will return), he will not be playing in this period of Christmas and New Year for sure.
“Tanguy is fit but he didn’t come to Stoke. My decision, but he is fit.”
Harry Kane has played the full 90 minutes in the last four matches but Mourinho said he will ignore calls to rest the striker who has been involved in 19 league goals this season.
“I hope he plays the next match again. It was Wednesday, the next match is Sunday,” Mourinho added.
“A player like him that works hard and takes good care of himself with a great professional life, I believe in three days he will be ready to play against Wolves.”
Spurs were top of the league earlier this month but have slipped to sixth after picking up one point in their last three games.
Mourinho said it would not get easier even though they are facing teams from the bottom half in Fulham and Leeds United after Wolves.
“We were in a period where we had to play against the considered top six teams where we got them in a row and some people can say now we are going to get an easier run of matches,” he said.
“It’s not easier. This is a league where we are and we should be very happy with that and not sad… We should be happy because it’s a fantastic league.” (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)