The Portuguese boss expressed his frustration over a lack of attacking options after losing another prized asset due to injury on Tuesday
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho says he won’t be counting on Son Heung-min again this season after seeing the forward sidelined with a fractured arm.
The club announced on Tuesday that Son will undergo surgery on the issue, before starting a rehabilitation programme which will keep him out of action for a “number of weeks”.
The South Korea international had been filling in up front for Spurs in the absence of Harry Kane, who sustained a serious hamstring injury in January.
Kane is not expected to return to the pitch until April, and Mourinho was unable to bring in an extra forward as cover for a talismanic figure during the winter transfer window.
Son has led the line admirably since being switched into a central role, and helped himself to another two goals during a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday - taking his tally for the season to nine.
That result saw Tottenham move to within a point of fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League standings, but Mourinho will now be forced to rethink his approach ahead of a Champions League last-16 meeting with RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
The Portuguese tactician doesn’t expect to welcome Son back before the end of the 2019-20 campaign, and claims “the situation couldn’t be worse” for his side as they head into a crucial period.
“We are going to miss him. The club wrote a nice statement. If I was the one to write the statement I would write differently. We miss him,” Mourinho told a press conference when asked to discuss Son’s injury.
“I’m not going to count on him again this season. If he plays two or three games then it’s because he (his press officer) is very optimistic, but I’m not counting on him.
“The situation couldn’t be worse. That is obvious. There is nothing we can do. We are going to play with the players we have available. I was worried about not having attacking options on the bench, now I don’t have attacking options on the pitch!
“No strikers, no market. Nothing. The only help we can have is our crowd. The Tottenham supporters, that is the only thing that I ask because to the players I cannot ask more than what they are giving.”
Lucas Moura and Dele Alli are still available to Mourinho, and January signing Steven Bergwijn is another option for Spurs after making a bright start to his career in English football.
Teenager striker Troy Parrott could also be granted a more prominent role in the team, with Tottenham set to switch their focus to a crucial Premier League meeting with Chelsea after their latest European outing.
 

Manchester United closed ground on the Champions League places as Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire struck to claim a vital 2-0 win over Chelsea, who were twice denied by VAR.
Despite heading into Monday’s meeting at Stamford Bride having taken just four points in 2020, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side moved to within a win of their opponents as they completed a Premier League double over Chelsea for the first time.
Martial continued his excellent form against Chelsea to get United off the mark, with the Blues denied an equaliser through Kurt Zouma by the video review system. united made their luck count in the 66th minute with captain Maguire – who was perhaps fortunate to be on the pitch after an earlier clash with Michy Batshuayi – heading in Bruno Fernandes’ corner and United held firm to secure valuable points after Olivier Giroud also saw a goal disallowed.
Chelsea were inches away from taking a sixth-minute lead when Reece James lashed wide, but Frank Lampard’s side were dealt a blow when N’Golo Kante was forced off through injury in the 12th minute.
Maguire was lucky to go unpunished for kicking out at Batshuayi, who subsequently squandered a brilliant chance after terrific work from Mason Mount.
Yet for all Chelsea’s threat, it was United who had the lead when Martial headed in Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s excellent cross.
Chelsea thought they had equalised when Kurt Zouma tucked home from a corner, only for VAR to disallow the goal for Cesar Azpilicueta’s push on Brandon Williams. and, after Fernandes had struck the woodwork with a superb free-kick, Chelsea’s frustrations were compounded as Maguire headed beyond Willy Caballero.
Giroud’s header seemed to have set up a grandstand finish, but VAR again came to United’s rescue. Mount then hit the post as the Blues’ efforts proved fruitless, with Caballero preventing substitute Odion Ighalo netting a debut goal in stoppage time.
Chelsea injuries piling up
It has been an injury-hit season for Kante and, after he hobbled off early on, the France international could now be a doubt for crucial fixtures against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Liverpool in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup respectively.
He was not the only player lost to injury, with Andreas Christensen having to be replaced by Zouma at half-time.
What’s next?
A potentially huge clash in the race for a Champions League place comes up next for Chelsea, who face Spurs on Saturday, while United are in Europa League action against Club Brugge two days earlier.
 

Mbappe would be a great signing for Real Madrid – Figo


Goal - Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe is one of the best players in the world and he would be a valuable addition to Real Madrid’s ranks, according to Luis Figo.
At the age of just 21, Mbappe has achieved more than most players manage over the course of an entire career.
The Frenchman has three Ligue 1 titles under his belt, in addition to a World Cup winners’ medal, and he also finished fourth in the final voting for the 2018 Ballon d’Or award.
Mbappe has been a key figure for PSG once again this season, netting 23 goals in 27 games across all competitions.
His performances continue to attract attention from top clubs across Europe, with Real Madrid reportedly leading the race for his signature ahead of the summer transfer window.
Questions have been raised over Mbappe’s future at Parc des Princes in the wake of his angry reaction to being substituted by Thomas Tuchel during a 5-0 win over Montpellier on February 1.
Tuchel has played down the significance of the incident, but PSG’s resolve could be tested if Madrid decide to launch a world-record bid for the France international when the market reopens.
Figo, who played for the Blancos between 2000 and 2005,  believes Mbappe “would be a great signing” for his old club given how “passionate” he is about honing his craft.
“Age doesn’t mean anything when you have all these qualities,” Figo told RMC Sport at the Laureus Sports Awards in Berlin.
“The important thing is that he continues to be passionate about this sport, that he continues to improve, to want to be better every day. That is the way he will achieve everything he wants.
“Mbappe is a young player, one of the best in the world, one of the most expensive too. He is in a team that has no financial problems, I do not know if it will be possible to sign him.
“But he would be a great signing for Real Madrid.”
Mbappe was left out of PSG’s squad for the 4-4 draw away at Amiens on Saturday, as Tuchel rotated his line-up ahead of a return to Champions League action.
The French champions are scheduled to face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday night.
Mbappe will likely be restored to Tuchel’s starting XI for the clash at Westfalenstadion, as PSG look to advance beyond the first knockout stage for the first time since 2016.