INSIGHT

AN episode such as Hugo Lloris’s night out and subsequent court appearance can spark a chain reaction because it interferes with preparation. An evening of drinking might mean players are dehydrated going into training. Loss of sleep through anxiety adds to fatigue. If you’re tired, your balance, coordination and judgment are affected. Top clubs will monitor the heartrate variability of their players. Perhaps Spurs noticed a little spike in his readings. Not enough to stop him training or playing but, with hindsight, a sign. The embarrassment could have taken something out of him physically in training. I’ve seen footballers react to a mistake by punishing themselves with work. They push too hard and then won’t admit a muscle feels tight. They have let their team-mates down once and are afraid of letting them down again. It could be one or two or a combination of these factors. Then the muscle is strained in the game. A thigh muscle can mean six weeks out for a keeper.