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Jose Mourinho claims Mikel Arteta has no reason to complain after responding to Arsenal manager’s comments about Tottenham’s unfair advantage in the North London derby on Sunday.
The local rivals had both been withdrawn from their homes for the knockout stages of the Europa League. But according to UEFA rules, two clubs from the same city cannot play on the same day.
This means Spurs will now host Dinamo Zagreb at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 11, three days before they cross town to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal, as FA Cup holders, were technically prioritized by UEFA – meaning their game against Olympiacos remains as it was.
But that means the Gunners face a nearly 3,000 mile round trip to Athens before hosting the derby.
This decision drew an angry reaction from Arteta.
However, Mourinho insists Tottenham received no sympathy when the boot was on the other foot.
“On December 6, we played against Arsenal in our stadium. On December 3, they played at home against Rapid Vienna. At the same time, we were playing in the ice in Linz with a late return flight. Was it an advantage for Arsenal?
Mourinho is committed to building a strong squad for the game but he says there will be changes from the side that beat Crystal Palace.
“We won’t be playing with the same team that beat Palace, but any team we take out will be strong,” he said.
“Gio [Lo Celso] is not ready but that has nothing to do with his previous major injury, from which he has fully recovered. But with his accumulation of work, his back hurts a bit, so he had to stop what he was doing. So not for this game. Apart from that, Joe Rodon, who is not registered, everyone is available. Am I going to repeat the team that played against Crystal Palace? No.”
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Mourinho explains Bale’s management
One man who has regained his best form in recent weeks is Gareth Bale.
31 year old man spent much of the first half of the campaign in the treatment room or on the bench. Mourinho has struggled to get anything from him, but in recent weeks Bale has resurfaced.
Four goals in his last six games for Tottenham have shown there is still life in his legs. It comes at a good time for Spurs entering a crucial part of the season.
This has led to further speculation that Tottenham could seek to make their loan permanent this summer.
When asked how he manages his playing time and his physical form, Mourinho insists that there is complete trust between the two.
“I want to continue my momentum but I have to manage it”, Mourinho added. “Communication is very good and I think he trusts me. At the moment, we are together deciding what to do.
“The other day during the game I found Andre Marriner, the fourth official found him because we talked so much. I was asking “10 more minutes?” 20 minutes? ”He plays very well.
“The relationship with him is very good, I think and of course I would like him to play 90 minutes every game, but he can’t.”
READ MORE: European hero reveals Spurs were close to signing Barcelona star
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