Tottenham v Man City: Ange Postecoglou rules out injured midfielder & rejects motivation claims

Ange Postecoglou has said Tottenham Hotspur will be without Yves Bissouma for Tuesday’s huge Premier League clash against Manchester City.

A victory for the champions in the capital would see them move above Arsenal and into top spot ahead of the final weekend of the season, while Spurs also may need to win to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

But Bissouma’s injury comes as a blow, and Postecoglou confirmed in Monday’s press conference that the knock the midfielder suffered at the weekend against Burnley will rule him out for the remainder of the campaign.

“We've got some options in here, Pierre [Hojbjerg] and Rodri [Bentancur] came on the other night to replace Biss and did well, and [Oliver] Skippy's an option,” said the former Celtic boss.

Postecoglou also said Richarlison won’t feature again in 2023/24 due to calf issue, and he joins Fraser Forster, Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie, Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon and Timo Werner on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, the Spurs boss rejected any suggestion that his side won’t be 100 percent motivated to win on Tuesday. A victory or a draw would essentially hand Arsenal the advantage in the title race, with the Gunners facing Everton at home on the final day of the season.

There has been growing discussion among Tottenham fans if they actually want their team to beat City and potentially tee up Arsenal for a first league title in 20 years, but Postecoglou said the thought of his side not giving their all has not even crossed his mind.

“If you’re going by social media then 99 percent of them will [want Spurs to lose] but please don’t tell me that’s your world,” the Australian said, when asked about his supporters’ motivations. “If it is, you need counselling. I understand rivalry but I’ll never understand anyone wanting their own team to lose.

“People are allowed to feel the way they do but I’ve been consistent and strong in my belief that it’s important for this club to get to where we want to, not look for a silver bullet. It’s hard work, perseverance, quality not false dawns and knowing what real success looks like. 

“Anything in between, bragging rights, are meaningless to me. We’ve got a game tomorrow we want to win.

“You think the majority of our fans don’t want us to win? I don’t see it that way, I think the fans inside the stadium will create the same atmosphere they always do.”