Jose Mourinho hopeful Hugo Lloris will be ready to face Chelsea

Jose Mourinho is confident Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris will return for Sunday’s trip to Chelsea in the Premier League.

The goalkeeper was absent from the squad for the 4-0 win over Ludogorets in Group J of the Europa League on Thursday.

Giovani Lo Celso and Steven Bergwijn were also notable absentees after they played a key part in last weekend’s victory against Manchester City.

Asked if they were injured, the Portuguese manager confirmed they were out with “little things” but would have been fine to feature if required.

Mourinho said: “I want to believe, yes (they will play at Chelsea). We could push but we didn’t want to risk.

“And this 12 players on the bench gives you space for everything. Gives even you space to have a 16-year-old kid (Dane Scarlett) in there and give him a chance to make history with Tottenham.

“So, with 12 players – Serge Aurier right-back, Sergio Reguilon left-back, Eric Dier centre-back, Moussa Sissoko midfielder – you have players in every position, that’s very good.”

This weekend Mourinho will return to Stamford Bridge for a seventh time as an opposition manager.

He has enjoyed two trophy-laden spells at Chelsea but exited the club in acrimonious circumstances on both occasions and has insisted this match is not special.

“It’s another game for me, it’s another game,” Mourinho added. “No problem at all.”

No fans will be in attendance for the London derby which is in contrast to the meeting between the sides at Stamford Bridge back in February.

Ahead of that clash, which Chelsea won 2-1, Mourinho stated he knew what team his former player Frank Lampard would select.

But given the talent now available to the Blues boss, the Spurs manager is not too bothered about finding out from his sources who will play on Sunday.

Mourinho said: “I don’t know (what the team will be). With such an amazing squad, to play Reece James or Cesar Azpilicueta, to play Ben Chilwell, Marcos Alonso or Emerson?

“To play Mendy or the most expensive goalkeeper in the history of the Premier League (Kepa Arrizabalaga)?

“Chelsea has an amazing squad, so I am not even worried about who is going to play because they only have very good players.”

While Spurs ended last weekend as joint-leaders of the Premier League, Mourinho does not envisage his team feeling any extra pressure because of that tag.

He also pointed out by the time they kick off in west London, Liverpool could be top outright if they are able to draw at Brighton on Saturday afternoon.

Mourinho added: “Maybe we don’t go top of the league there.

“Maybe Liverpool gets a point or a victory at Brighton and then we don’t go there top of the league. I don’t even know that, so going there top of the league or with Liverpool top doesn’t change anything for us.

“As I was saying since the beginning of the season, we are always contenders to win the next match. Nothing more than that.

“We are going to be there, three possible results. We know anything can happen, but we go there and our objective is to win the game.”

Spurs will be without defender Toby Alderweireld (groin) and attacker Erik Lamela (Achilles) for the trip to Stamford Bridge.