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RED ROBBO EYES TWIN CHALLENGE
HARRY WINKS is ready to play through the pain barrier to make sure he eases Tottenham’s agony. Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino revealed that Winks is having to play with pain in the troublesome ankle he injured in April 2017 and had surgery on four months ago. But midfielder Winks (above) made his first Premier League start since last December against Liverpool and wants to carry on playing as he believes Spurs can turn round their fortunes at Inter Milan in the Champions League tomorrow after two straight defeats. Winks said: “As a footballer you have to get over these battles. I’m not the only footballer who has to play with pain and I won’t be the last. “There are hundreds of footballers out there who play with pain and I’m just another one who ANDY ROBERTSON insists Liverpool can challenge in both the Premier League and Champions League. Liverpool begin their European campaign against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield tomorrow after making a perfect start with five straight Premier League wins. Reds defender Robertson said: “Without being ahead of ourselves, we do believe going into every game that we can win. “Of course, because we’re Liverpool – we’re a big club and we do believe that. That’s a big club’s mentality. “When you’re in every trophy, you go to win them. As simple as that. We’ve got League Cup next week and it will be the exact same when the FA Cup starts. “As long as you’re in tournaments, you’ve got to go and try to win them, especially at a big club like this. “Consistency is key. That’s how Man City won last season. Consistently they were so good and has to learn to deal with it. But it’s been tough – the first early stages when you come back in with the boys and you feel pain every day.
“Your ankle’s not going to be the same as it was, but it’s football. I’m used to it now.
“It’s vital that we come back. Tuesday in the Champions League is going to be massive for us – to go out there and set a statement in Europe, and also to the Premier League, that we’re going to come back with a bang.
“We’re going to do very well and Tuesday’s a good opportunity for us to go out there and win and start off our Champions League journey.
“Everyone is ready for the fight, everyone is together. We’ve got a big squad and everyone is coming back from internationals and from injury now.
“We’re all ready to fight with each other and set it right and the Champions League is a great opportunity to do that.” that’s why they ran away with it. The start that we’ve had is very good, we’ve won every game that’s been put in front of us. We just need to keep continuing.
“The first five games don’t win you a league. But they can set you in a nice way to really compete. Fifteen points from 15 is always pleasing. But now we need to kick on and keep continuing that.”
Liverpool reached the Champions League final last season and Robertson believes they can go even further this time and win it.
The Scotland captain added: “PSG are a hell of a team, it’s going to be hard, we’ve got a tough group. But we need to get off to a good start.
“We’ll be looking to get a game plan that will cause them problems and also shore up at the back because they’ve got world-class players.
“I think a cup run can do good for every club. You just get that hunger and desire to win trophies.
“We were so close, but this season we have to take that hunger and desire into whatever tournament we play in and next up is the Champions League and hopefully we can start on a positive on Tuesday.” VIRGIL VAN DIJK mirror.co.uk/sport/football