Harry Kane is our Lionel Messi, claims Mauricio Pochettino

Harry Kane

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino admits Harry Kane is chomping at the bit as he returns from injury on Saturday and compared his striker’s importance to Spurs as akin to that of Lionel Messi for Barcelona.
Tottenham have won all three Premier League games in Kane’s absence, with Dele Alli, Son Heung-Min, Christian Eriksen and Eric Dier chipping in with goals in the striker’s absence.

Pochettino, however, is delighted to have his 24-goal forward Kane back available and the England man is in contention to make the starting line-up against Watford this lunchtime after returning from an ankle injury within three weeks.

Pochettino said: ‘He’s had a few sessions and today he was involved with the team. We will see tomorrow if he can start or be on the bench. He is ready.

‘Harry wanted to be back and ready as soon as possible. His mentality is always to push more and more.

‘Today was good because after training, he was shooting, he was playing and you can see that he is ready. When I ask him and say “Hey Harry, I don’t know if you are ready or not, I think you want to be?” He says “No, no, I want to be involved tomorrow!”

‘So I said “OK, no, you will not be involved”. He said “Why?”. So I said “Your answer is wrong. You should say “Gaffer, it’s up to you because you are the manager and you decide!'” So he said that and then now I say yes. He’s pushing a lot and his mentality is great.'

South Korean forward Son Heung-Min has excelled in Kane’s absence but Pochettino insists that Kane remains the man to lead Tottenham’s title charge.

‘Maybe I am crazy but you cannot put a doubt on Harry Kane,’ the Argentine said. ‘The team is playing well but I think it’s so difficult.

‘Whether Harry plays from the beginning or not, I think there is no doubting that Harry is our best player. It’s like with Barcelona – if (Lionel) Messi is injured for one month but Barcelona are still winning.

‘Then Messi is available again and you say: “Mmmm, I don’t know!’

Pochettino is also hoping that goalkeeper Hugo Lloris overcomes the illness that kept him out of the 3-1 victory at Swansea on Wednesday night. Usual second-choice Michel Vorm is out with a knee injury, so there may be a debut for 22-year-old Spanish goalkeeper Pau Lopez. Lopez is Spain’s Under-21 goalkeeper and played last season at Espanyol.

Pochettino said: ‘He played 40 games in La Liga last season. He has experience. It’s true he is young and needs to learn and improve. But he is ready, physically and mentally. He is ready to compete if we need him.’

Pochettino has thrown down the gauntlet to Chelsea and said Antonio Conte’s team will find it ‘difficult to accept’ if they slip up so close to the finishing line. Chelsea remain seven points clear of Spurs with eight games to play but Conte’s side face Bournemouth and Manchester United away from home over the next week.

‘When you are seven points above the second team of the table, it is normal for them to win the league,’ Pochettino said. ‘Now it’s up to them. We are in a position where we need to do our job and put pressure on.’

‘After eight games, if they don’t win the Premier League, it will be tough for them to accept. We are in a different project and a different club. Tottenham’s history is massive and is bigger than many clubs in England.

‘The mentality is improving every season, every day, we go forward, try to win, play well, excite the fans, be brave and many good things are happening here. I am very proud of our club and our fans. Maybe one day after all the work we will start to get rewards.’