Brighton boss Graham Potter says Tottenham do not have a “Harry Kane mark II” but believes Jose Mourinho will find a solution to the loss of his star man.
Spurs captain Kane is set to miss Sunday evening’s visit to the Amex Stadium after injuring both ankles during Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Liverpool.
The 27-year-old has scored or assisted 23 of his club’s 34 Premier League goals this season and his enforced absence presents a major dilemma for manager Mourinho.
Potter believes the north London visitors – who will be seeking to resurrect their ailing top-flight form – possess sufficient squad depth to cope with the setback and feels his struggling side remain in for a tough assignment.
“It would be unfair of me to say they have got another Harry Kane in their group, because he’s a top player, the captain, the leader,” said Potter.
“It’s hard to replace him, they will have to find a different solution of course and the squad that Tottenham have, the skill that Tottenham have, they will find that solution.
“But it won’t be a Harry Kane mark II, that’s for sure.”
Tottenham topped the table as recently as early December but have plummeted to sixth having dropped 15 points in their past eight games.
A title challenge is already starting to look beyond them, while swift improvement is required to ensure they remain in the fight for a top-four finish and a return to the Champions League.
Despite Spurs’ poor recent results, Potter remains a keen admirer of former Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss Mourinho, describing the Portuguese as “a master”.
“He’s always been someone that I have looked up to, somebody that I have been interested in,” said Potter.
“Certainly from the moment he walked into the UK and I thought his Chelsea team were fantastic.
“The way he was as a coach and the way he conducted himself was really interesting to me at the time.
“He’s somebody I have had a huge respect for. He’s a master.
“To win where he’s won – in Portugal, here, in Italy, in Spain – it’s incredible.”
Lowly Brighton go into the game still searching for a first home league win of a difficult season.
Wednesday evening’s goalless draw with 18th-placed Fulham means they remain one position and five points clear of the bottom three.
That frustrating stalemate came following the news the club reported a loss of £67.2million for 2019-20, a season Albion chairman Tony Bloom described as “one of the most challenging in the club’s history”.
Potter insists the alarming financial accounts, which were adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, have not led to fears he will have to sell a star player, such as Tariq Lamptey, Ben White or Yves Bissouma.
“I don’t think there’s any need to worry about that, the losses are what they are, they’re part of the ongoing problems that everyone is facing at the moment and we’re very fortunate we have a fantastic chairman that can help us and support us,” he said.
“Part of that is we have an understanding of the value of our players, an understanding of what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to develop some younger guys that can take us forward in the Premier League.
“At the same time you know where you are in the pyramid, so if a Real Madrid or a Barcelona come in, it’s very difficult to stop those types of transfers. We’re in a good place and we’re building for the future.”
