Mauricio Pochettino will step up his efforts to strengthen his squad after an injury to Kieran Trippier in Tottenham’s final game of pre-season exposed the manager’s lack of options at right-back since the departure of Kyle Walker to Manchester City.
Two excellent goals, a first-half header by Harry Kane and a neat second-half finish from Christian Eriksen, ensured Pochettino’s side will go into next Sunday’s opening Premier League game at Newcastle United on the back of a impressive 2-0 victory against Juventus, the Serie A champions. Pochettino’s satisfaction at his team’s display was overshadowed by concern for Trippier, who left the stadium on crutches and wearing a protective boot, having twisted his ankle in a 40th-minute challenge with Alex Sandro, the Juventus left-back who was the target of an approach from Chelsea earlier this summer.
Trippier has been installed as first-choice right-back after Walker’s £50m move to the Etihad stadium with Kyle Walker-Peters, a highly-rated 20-year-old yet to make his competitive senior debut , the only other recognised right-back in the squad.
Walker-Peters replaced Trippier yesterday but Pochettino admitted the youngster is not yet ready to step up on a regular basis and that the search for new recruits after a so far fruitless transfer window will intensify as the deadline approaches.
“We don’t know yet,” said Pochettino, when asked about the extent of Trippier’s injury. “We will assess him on Monday and then we will see. The feeling is better now than it was at half-time. He twisted his ankle and we hope it is not a big issue.
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“This doesn’t change our idea. Our idea was the same as before, to try to provide the team with more strength and to sign more players in the transfer window. We are looking at different positions in the team and try to bring the required player. Now we are in the last few weeks of the window and if we want to add to the squad, we have to sign players.”
Trippier’s injury aside, there were positives for the manager to take from the game. An excellent 10th-minute move, started by Jan Vertonghen on the edge of his own penalty area, was capped by Kane’s downward header from Trippier’s cross to give Spurs the lead. Eriksen added another in the 52nd minute after collecting an excellent threaded pass by Dele Alli, and the margin of victory could have been greater with Moussa Sissoko and Kane both striking the woodwork.
A victory at Wembley, the club’s temporary home for the coming season, was welcome but Pochettino maintained the result was of only minor consequence. “It’s not about winning, it’s about finding the feelings on the pitch and to be ready to compete next week,” he said. “Of course you want to win and the result was important but I think the most important thing was the feeling and the team, I think we showed good quality in our game and the confidence is higher now. The performance was good.”