Tottenham captain Son Heung-min will not be available for Thursday's Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt. However, Ange Postecoglou has backed his players and urged them to take advantage of a great opportunity despite having “no idea” about his future.
Spurs have one last chance: the return leg in Germany will be another crucial game in a disappointing season that could result in the worst result in Premier League history.
Speculation has recently intensified over the future of Postecoglou, who will be without Son due to a leg injury, but the 59-year-old coach showed confidence on Wednesday as the match looked close to a 1-1 draw last week.
Tottenham Hotspur cruised to a last-16 tie against AZ Alkmaar last month despite trailing after the first leg in the Netherlands. Although they arrived at Deutsche Bank Park on the back of four successive away defeats, the Australians vowed to fight tooth and nail for a place in the semi-finals.
“Sonny didn't end up going. He was the only one who missed out on the opportunity,” Postecoglou said.
“Yes, it’s a blow, but it’s in line with everything that’s happened this year, so it’s just another challenge we have to overcome.
“The reason we kept him out at the weekend was to give him time to recover as he had been struggling with this problem with his leg for a few weeks but had not been able to perform.
“I don’t see it (tomorrow) as a way to save the season, I see it as an opportunity to do something special.
“You're at a stage where you have a chance to reach the semi-finals of a major tournament. Obviously, you're aware of the challenge ahead of you, and that's what drives you.
“That was kind of my message to the players. Regardless of everything else that's happened this year, we're one game away from the final four of a major competition.
“We shouldn’t take it for granted, as something normal, because for this club it’s definitely not, but we’ll try to take advantage of it.
“I don't have any pressure, no anxiety. I'm sitting here thinking that we have a great chance to get to the final four of a major tournament.
“Man, I'm not going to let this go without fighting for it with all my might, no matter what happens tomorrow.”
Spurs' poor season hit its worst point yet on Sunday as they conceded four goals at Wolves to remain 15th in the Premier League.
Postecoglou was asked directly about his future and he replied: “Do I know? No, I have no idea. We have a game tomorrow night, but it's not something I need to think about, I don't think about it.
“I know for sure that we have a chance to reach the final four of a major tournament and that's what I'm focused on.”
Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven stressed the team's belief in themselves remains intact, saying: “We all still trust the manager and believe in his tactics.”
“We want to win the game, of course for him, but also for us, for the club and for the fans.
“It hasn't been a very successful season, but it's an important match for us and of course we want to achieve something special this season.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
