Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has suggested this week that an esteemed member of his squad isn't actually fully fit, with an all-important and tough away game against Man United on the horizon this Sunday.
Man United v Tottenham - team news and preview
The Lilywhites will be without both Richarlison and winger Wilson Odobert for their trip to Old Trafford tomorrow as the Spurs duo nurse long-term injury problems.
Son Heung-min also faces a late assessment to determine his fitness, but apart from that, Postecoglou will have all of his key senior players available for the clash as the Australian hopes to make it four wins on the trot in all competitions.
The north Londoners haven't looked back since tasting defeat in their 1-0 derby loss to Arsenal a fortnight ago. Since then, wins over Coventry City in the EFL Cup, Brentford in the Premier League last weekend and Qarabag in midweek mean Spurs go into this game in a solid run of form.
Brennan Johnson was forced to delete his social media channels after being subjected to online abuse in the wake of their defeat to Arsenal, but the Wales international has since scored in each of their last three matches - showcasing an elite mentality to silence his doubters.
In the build-up to this encounter, Postecoglou has praised Son for elevating his teammates behind the scenes and revealed that goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario comes in on his days off to train.
However, he also urges Spurs not to underestimate Man United despite pressure surrounding managerial counterpart Erik ten Hag.
"There’s always some manager under pressure," said Postecoglou on Man United and Ten Hag.
"I think it must be one of those spinning boards with all our faces on it and whatever it lands on, he cops it for a week or two. I think Erik in a real tough job has done really well. He keeps mentioning he's won two trophies and he has. I don't think that's insignificant. People keep telling me that’s what I have to do, but it's obviously not all you have to do, because even when you do that, there's more.
"There's always more and I think he's done a great job in a difficult job. At Old Trafford, it's tough there. You look at their record and irrespective of the managers, it's still a fairly compelling record and they’ve got some real quality players. We had a really good game there last year. It was 2-2 and a cracking game. One we’re going to be ready for."
Postecoglou reveals Solanke is still working to full fitness
Speaking after their win over Qarabag in midweek, Postecoglou also commented on Dominic Solanke following the striker's run of two goals in two games.
He claimed that Solanke isn't actually fit after returning from his ankle injury and is still working towards reaching his physical peak, making his recent goalscoring impact all the more impressive.
"Dom has been great for us," said Postecoglou.
"Not just his goals, but his general link-up play, he is a strong lad and keeps the ball really well for us. He is a typical striker always on the move. He’s still working his way to full fitness but strong performance."