All Premier League matches have been postponed until the first week of April due to the coronavirus pandemic, but not all teams are in the same situation. Chelsea players are currently in self-isolation after teammate Callum Hudson-Odoi contracted the first case of any top-flight footballer in England. Meanwhile, at some other clubs Premier League players have been given strict instructions on how to train at home, but others such as Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur are at the training ground. The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has suggested how that could be giving Spurs an advantage.
What did he say?
Speaking on The Athletic’s Ornstein and Chapman podcast the journalist said: “Those who are training as normal like Tottenham, Manchester United and a few others – if the resumption does come soon, then those players are going to be in top condition.”
Ornstein added that Spurs could perhaps be “In a better situation with the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min coming back to full fitness.”
Would Spurs receive an unfair advantage?
It is not yet clear whether the season will resume on the 3 April, but should it be pushed back further there is the possibility that both Kane and Son could return to finish off the season for Tottenham Hotspur. Should Mourinho’s Spurs side receive the boost of their top scorers on 11 and nine goals, Kane and Son respectively, returning to full fitness before the Premier League restarts, Ornstein has suggested that could leave Tottenham in a better situation than they had initially faced to end their campaign. Their possible return could have a significant influence on the outcome of the Premier League’s battle for Europe.
Since both players were ruled out Tottenham Hotspur have not won in all competitions, suffering five losses and one draw as they were knocked out of both the Champions League and FA Cup in the space of a week. Mourinho’s side have found the back of the net just five times in those six appearances, and the return of their 20 Premier League goal pair would be a substantial boost for the Lilywhites.
