Ange Postecoglou has called on Giovanni Lo Celso to seize the opportunity presented to him with James Maddison injured.
Spurs have been hit by a plethora of injuries and suspensions for their squad in recent weeks, especially in midfield and defence. Argentina international Lo Celso has had a stop-start career at Tottenham so far after joining from Spanish side Real Betis in 2019.
Injuries have also plagued the 27-year-old this season, but now that he is fully fit, his manager confirmed there will be opportunities for the midfielder to play in the coming weeks.
“Gio will get a chance, especially in the coming weeks,” Postecoglou said. ‘We are on numbers and have quite a few games between now and New Year.
“We won’t get anyone of significance back at that time, except Romero, so Gio and the other guys will get that chance. He had a really strong pre-season and then he got injured at Fulham which was his first start and that put him on the back foot for a while.
Ange Postecoglou hinted that Giovani Lo Celso could play a big role in the coming weeks
The Argentina international has recovered from an injury that ruled him out earlier this season
Star signing James Maddison has suffered an injury that will keep him on the sidelines
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‘He has worked hard to get fit again. I haven’t had any problems with any player in terms of frustration.’
During his four years at the club, Lo Celso made the move back to Spain to join Aston Villa manager Unai Emery at Villarreal in January 2022, before taking out a full-season loan last season.
Emery left for the Midlands side in October 2022, and despite his season being blighted by injuries, Lo Celso still put in a respectable performance in limited minutes.
When asked what he liked about the Argentine’s game, the 58-year-old said he watched Lo Celso long before joining the club this summer: “I watched Gio very closely before I came here, both here at Tottenham as with him. spells at other clubs.
‘You see that he has certain qualities. He has had a disruptive season for us. He’s had a few injuries, but he hasn’t really had a good run with them.
‘But you can see that technically he is a very creative player. He works hard for the team. He’ll get a chance in the coming weeks to hopefully come in and make an impact.”
Postecoglou also praised Emery for his impact at Villa since taking over, with the Villains flying high in fifth place, one point and place behind their hosts: ‘He [Emery] been first class. He turned Villa around very quickly. You have to remember what position they were in when he took over. They have always been very consistent.
“He’s a quality manager.”
The Australian manager had been eyeing Lo Celso before taking over the club this summer
Lo Celso was involved in the fiery match between Argentina and Brazil in midweek, with the Albiceleste winning 1-0 against their great rivals
The midfielder played for a while under Aston Villa boss Unai Emery when the two were together at Villarreal