Jose Mourinho plays down rivals Liverpool's injury issues, predicts champions' playing XI

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has downplayed Liverpool's injury issues ahead of the Spurs' trip to Anfield on Wednesday. Jurgen Klopp's side have had a host of injury problems this season, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, ruled out for most of the season. The Reds boss has repeatedly called for the introduction of five substitutes, but Mourinho has distanced himself from the claim, suggesting that injuries are a normal part of the sport. 

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Liverpool vs Tottenham: Jose Mourinho effectively names Reds' starting XI, shrugs of injury crisis claims 

Speaking to the media ahead of the Liverpool vs Tottenham clash, Jose Mourinho effectively named the hosts' starting XI for Wednesday night's clash at Anfield. The Spurs boss said that while Liverpool have suffered a host of injuries, the Reds pretty much have their starting XI intact, with the exception of Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch international suffered an ACL tear in October and is racing against time to be fit again this season. The Portuguese tactician, when quizzed about what team he expected to face at Anfield, claimed that the entire Liverpool first XI excluding Van Dijk is expected to feature because none of them are injured.

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Mourinho, however, said that while the Dutch centre-back will a huge miss for the Reds, there is no injury crisis to be worried of. The Spurs boss further said that he could name 10 injuries at Tottenham, with two each in the U-16s and the U-18s, while three more in the U23s. Amongst the first-team squad, Erik Lamela and Japhet Tanganga are out injured, but the rest of his team, including Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, are fit. The former Real Madrid boss claimed that every club had injuries, and it is part and parcel of the gruelling season. 

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Jurgen Klopp hailed Mourinho for turning Spurs into a results machine as Tottenham hold the top spot in the Premier League standings. However, the Portuguese manager believes it is too early to make a judgement and added that a period of good results is about a few months and a 'results machine' is much more than that, which his team is far from. Nonetheless, Mourinho finished with saying that he was happy with his team's performances over the course of the season, and gave the credit to his players. Tottenham are top of the Premier League standings with 25 points, ending defending champions Liverpool on goal difference, who occupy the second spot ahead of the clash at Anfield. 

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(Image Courtesy: Tottenham Instagram)