Man Utd’s Manuel Ugarte in doubt to face Brentford after suffering knock vs Ecuador
The nature of his injury remains unclear, but it raises concerns over his availability for Saturday’s clash at Old Trafford.
With a FA Cup semi-final looming large on the horizon, Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted that winger Lucas Moura could get his first-ever Premier League start on Wednesday when the Lilywhites take on Brighton & Hove Albion.
“Maybe he (Moura) has the opportunity to start to play a little bit more,” Pochettino stated on the eve of his side’s clash with the Seagulls.
“There are a lot of games still to play and now is the moment maybe to rotate players that are tired. Of course, we need fresh legs to try to get our objectives.”
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The Brazilian was struggling for game time at Paris Saint-Germain and arrived at Tottenham in the January transfer window eager for first-team action but so far has only started in the FA Cup and has been been forced to contend with cameos in the Premier League.
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“He is one of the players working hard to try to take the opportunity and maybe tomorrow is a good opportunity for him to play a little bit more.”
As Spurs are almost assured of a top-four spot as fifth-placed Chelsea trail them by seven points, the North Londoners can afford to make some changes, especially as a cup semi-final with Manchester United nears.
Wembley Stadium, Spurs’ home this season, will be the venue as the Red Devils take on the Lilwhites on Saturday.
Moura came on in the last 15 minutes of Spurs’ 1-3 loss to Manchester City on the weekend and was among the brightest players, coming close to scoring twice.
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With Pochettino coming under stinging criticism for starting his misfiring compatriot Erik Lamela over the likes of Heung-Min Son and Moura, there could be a real chance that the Brazilian gets his first Premier League start since his £25 million arrival in January.
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