LUKAKU IS SEEKING A RETURN TO FORM, HAVING GONE FOUR GAMES WITHOUT A GOAL
efeat is not an option for Jose Mourinho or Mauricio Pochettino as their teams seek to keep pace with leaders Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Mourinho’s Manchester United and Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur begin the weekend five points behind City as they face each other at Old Trafford in today’s early kick-off.
Spurs will have to make do without in-form striker Harry Kane who will miss the match with a minor hamstring strain.
“Harry Kane underwent assessment and investigation earlier this week, which confirmed a minor strain to the left hamstring,” the club said on Twitter yesterday.
Kane, who has scored 13 goals in 12 appearances in all competitions for Spurs this season, was clutching his hamstring when he was substituted in the final minutes of their 4-1 win over Liverpool last weekend.
Speaking at a pre-match news conference on Friday, manager Mauricio Pochettino said the England forward could return for the Champions League group-stage match against Real Madrid at Wembley on Wednesday.
“The injury is very small but we cannot take a risk for tomorrow,” he said. “We’ll see after for Wednesday against Real Madrid. But tomorrow, it is impossible.
“Always you want to have all the players available, so this is a problem. But, like always, we believe in the collective, in the squad and during the season sometimes these things happen. We have to trust in other players.”
United have lost significant ground in the last fortnight, following up a dire goalless draw at Liverpool by falling to a surprising first league defeat of the season last Saturday, as Huddersfield Town beat them 2-1.
Mourinho, who accused his players of a “poor attitude” after the Huddersfield reverse, made seven changes for Tuesday’s League Cup fourth-round tie at fellow Premier League club Swansea and was rewarded with a 2-0 victory.
Most of those omitted from the starting line-up in midweek are set to be restored against Spurs, among them Romelu Lukaku, who is seeking a return to form, having gone four games without a goal after scoring 11 in his first 10 United appearances. Mourinho is looking to get some of his injured players back quickly, although he has given no indication as to when France midfielder Paul Pogba will be ready to return from a hamstring injury sustained on September 12.
Phil Jones, who limped off at Huddersfield with a thigh strain, was among the substitutes at Swansea, and will be fit, while his central defensive partner Eric Bailly is also close to being available after suffering a groin injury with Ivory Coast at the start of the month. Marouane Fellaini is still recovering from a knee ligament strain, though, while fellow midfielder Michael Carrick also remains injured.
United have won all four of their home league matches this season, scoring 14 goals and conceding none, and Mourinho is seeking to keep that sequence going.
Pochettino’s side suffered an unexpected home loss to struggling West Ham United in the League Cup.