Jose Mourinho confident Eric Dier is mentally ready to face Burnley

Jose Mourinho insists Eric Dier is in the right frame of mind to play for Tottenham and will be selected against Burnley.

The PA news agency understands the midfielder is part of a Metropolitan Police investigation after he climbed into the stands to confront a fan in the aftermath of Spurs going out of the FA Cup to Norwich on Wednesday night.

Football Association and club investigations have been put on hold while the police probe the incident which saw Dier approach a supporter who was allegedly abusing his brother.

The England international was said to be calm in the dressing room after the game and Mourinho says he will be in the side at Turf Moor on Saturday evening.

Eric Dier confronted a fan in the stands

Eric Dier confronted a fan in the stands (PA)

Mourinho said: “What about Eric being in the right frame of mind to play tomorrow, of course. The only thing that matters is: first of all, that nothing really big happened.

“And secondly he played so, so well in the last two matches. That of course he is going to play.

“I would never do that (rest him). The player played so well.

“Nothing happened, nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be ashamed of.

“The football world is behind, and understands completely the circumstances. Nothing. Of course he’s right to play.”

Mourinho, although acknowledging Dier was wrong to confront the fan, reiterated his support for his player and said he would have done the same thing.

“I look at myself and I am of course much older than Eric, and of course I have much more years in football than Eric,” he said.

“And as you know, I was born a footballer’s son, and I grew up as a football manager, and the only thing that I can say is that: if I see something happening with my son, I would do the same.

“I wouldn’t think two seconds about doing the same. So, that’s why I said I would do the same.

“But, as professionals, sometimes we have to go through difficult situations. And we have to try to cope with it. And be a little bit lucky, that not happen the same that happened with Eric.

“But I think, everybody understands what happened.”

After the defeat to Norwich, which plunged Spurs’ season into further disarray, Mourinho said – due to injuries and fatigue – he would only be able to prioritise one of the next two games, with a Champions League last-16 second leg at RB Leipzig following the Burnley game.

He has since climbed down and says his side will be targeting both.

“We are in a situation where I think it is very hard to prioritise,” he said.

“But as I was saying after the match it was a discussion to have internally and especially the players feelings and the communication with the players is always the most important thing.

Mourinho says he will have to prioritise one of the next two matches

Mourinho says he will have to prioritise one of the next two matches (Bradley Collyer/PA)

“We know that we are going to play against players who have had a week preparing for the match. We have decisions to make.

“Of course we want to win tomorrow and the tie on Tuesday but we have to find a way where we give some players a better chance to perform.

“With the problems we have, the players we have for some positions are not much but somehow we have to manage to give players something and that means giving some players a rest.”

Mourinho should at least have Hugo Lloris back from a groin injury, which is timely given Michel Vorm’s terrible error against the Canaries.

He added: “Decision to be made after training. Training is at three, decision to be made after. If you ask whether I am expecting him to play I say yes but I cannot confirm.”

FourFourTwo Staff

FourFourTwo was launched in 1994 on the back of a World Cup that England hadn’t even qualified for. It was an act of madness… but it somehow worked out. Our mission is to offer our intelligent, international audience access to the game’s biggest names, insightful analysis... and a bit of a giggle. We unashamedly love this game and we hope that our coverage reflects that.