Tottenham Hotspur manager José Mourinho has confessed that he is expecting the worst when he hears the results of striker Harry Kane's hamstring tests.
Kane limped off the field during Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Southampton, immediately grabbing his hamstring. The severity of the issue is currently unknown, but many Spurs fans are concerned by the club's lack of senior alternatives in the squad.
Speaking ahead of his side's FA Cup clash with Middlesbrough (via football.london), Mourinho admitted that he does not know how he will replace Kane as he does not believe 17-year-old Troy Parrott is ready to step up.
"I don't know yet, maybe later today we have news but if you ask me just my feeling – good news or bad news – I am more on bad news than good news, that's my feeling," he said.
"What the player felt, Harry Kane leaving a match, the way he did it, he didn't think twice, it didn't take him two seconds to realise the severity of the situation, some opinions from the medical department before the test results.
"I think too soon [for Parrott]. I think one thing is potential and another thing is conditions to express potential and I think he needs time. The next step for him is to sign a new contract at the club long-term and then it is for everyone to decide what is the best for is development. In this club we care about our players."
However, despite the apparent lack of a striker, Mourinho insisted he is relaxed about the idea of signing a new forward in the January transfer window.
"I don't want to think about it," the boss said. "Everybody in the club wants to give the teams the best conditions but at the same time the world doesn't end at the end of this season. We have a few months until the end of the season to fight for results obviously but nothing ends at the end of the season.
"Yesterday I was watching the Liverpool match and I was watching the best team in the world at the moment. Jürgen [Klopp] arrived in October 2015. 2016, 17, 18, 19 and now 20. Eight transfer windows, lots of players leaving, lots of players coming and even more important than that, time for him to put his philosophy, his training methods, his fingerprint.
"In the first season they finished sixth or something like that and four years later they are not just the world champions, they are the best team in the world in this moment. No panic, calm."
Finally, he touched on Christian Eriksen, who is free to discuss a free transfer away from the club this month. The Dane has been linked with a permanent move away from Spurs in January, but Mourinho added that Spurs are still in control of the situation.
"I don't know and I am being honest," he admitted. "You know the situation, in this moment he can agree with any club for the end of the season. That is one option.
"Another option is a club and himself want to do a deal in January, but in that situation our club is in control. We have the control of the situation. Another possibility is he stays. In this moment he is here, he is our player."
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Source : 90min