EPL manager Jose Mourinho offers fitness update on injured stars

EPL manager Jose Mourinho said in his interview with Sky Sports that all his injured players have recovered but are struggling for match fitness.

Tottenham were blighted by injuries to Harry Kane (Hamstring Tear), Son Heung-Min (Broken Arm), Steven Bergwijn (Sprained Ankle) and Moussa Sissoko (Ligament damage to Knee).

These injuries dashed their hopes of securing a spot in the EPL top-four and forced Mourinho into naming highly-weakened lineups from February.

Key EPL stars have recovered from injury for Spurs

"I can't say they are ready to play but they are not injured" Jose Mourinho spoke to @GeoffShreeves about the fitness levels of Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son and Steven Bergwijn📲 More: https://t.co/r5upbidEV8 pic.twitter.com/5WUWmzetyW

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 27, 2020

Mourinho, in his interview with Sky Sports' Geoff Shreeves for The Football Show, gave positive news on the injury front for Spurs in the EPL.

The Portuguese manager claimed that although his players have fully recovered from their respective injuries, they are yet to return to full match fitness.

"I cannot say in this moment they are ready to play because one thing is to recover from an injury, and another is to be ready to play football."

Kane grappling with Webster in an EPL clash

The former Chelsea and Manchester United coach spoke further on Kane's return from injury, but expressed doubts on him immediate EPL return.

"In Harry's case, I think for about five months he hasn't played, but all of them are not injured any more. They are training, and training is what it is at the moment, training has a lot of limitations. We cannot compete, we cannot do one versus one, we have to keep a certain distance, we cannot compete."

Mourinho said that a couple of weeks of normal training could bring his players up to speed, but also added that it may not be enough.

"Harry Kane, Son, Bergwijn, Sissoko, all of them are fine. I think with a couple of weeks of normal training, when the authorities tell us we can train normally I think in a couple of weeks, the boys will be ready to play, of course not in the maximum of their potential, I think nobody can do that in this moment."

Mourinho's thoughts on the EPL restart plans

Power: 💯#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/CRyUL3pWNq

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 26, 2020

Mourinho was positive in his response to the EPL's decision to resume team training. He also said that the EPL had been deliberate and sensible in its approach for a return of football to English shores.

"This is a very positive step in the journey towards the resumption of sport and contact training does literally mean that, but you're not going to have training sessions at the various facilities up and down the country with 11 v 11."

Spurs player during a training session before lockdown

He went on to give his thoughts on the essence of contact training by saying that it would possibly allow for smaller-sided games in training.

"Initially they'll probably do it in groups of two to three players, that's the advice that's been given by government, and slowly progress towards larger groups of four to 12 players and ultimately 11 v 11 - but we are still some days from that happening."