Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho says his side have “no excuses” at Manchester United as they reach the end of a gruelling run of games.
Spurs head to Old Trafford on Sunday for their fourth game in eight days, having booked their place in the Europa League group stages on Thursday.
Mourinho has previously complained about player welfare and said his players’ efforts have been “inhuman” but he is gearing his side up for one last push before the international break.
🗣️ Jose: "We were just clinical. We hurt them many, many times in transition. Job done." #THFC ⚪️ #COYSpic.twitter.com/Ks0O49f1Pl— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 1, 2020
“I am used to it. It’s the last one, the last match,” he said. “I don’t want to moan. I moaned enough and I moaned with real things on my hands and I don’t think anyone disagreed with me, even when I was moaning about the situation.
“But now (there) is only one more match, only the United match. But no excuses. They had only one match for the week and it was yesterday and probably the majority of the players who played are not going to play Sunday.
“But I want to forget that. We go there and we go there to discuss the game.”
Mourinho could be boosted by the return of Son Heung-min at Old Trafford as the South Korean recovers from a hamstring injury, which is not as bad as first feared.
Son was previously ruled out until after the international break but he could make a surprise comeback on Sunday.
“I don’t want to lie to you and say he doesn’t play and Sunday he’s there,” Mourinho said. “At the same time I don’t want to say he plays and then he doesn’t.
“So let’s wait and see, in this moment, I honestly don’t know.”
The game sees a return to Manchester United for Mourinho, almost two years after he was sacked as manager there.
One of his first matches in charge of Spurs was a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford last December, but Mourinho reacted with disdain when asked whether Sunday’s match was a revenge mission.
“What’s that? Revenge? I won so many times at Old Trafford as Man United coach and as an opponent coach.
“Revenge for what? Nobody treated me badly there, everyone was so nice to me, I don’t have enemies there, I don’t have bad feelings. Revenge for what? It’s just a football match I want to win.”
