Ange Postecoglou explains Tottenham plan to keep Richarlison fit after injury hell | OneFootball

Postecoglou insists Brazilian can be key for Spurs in the second half of the season

Ange Postecoglou is adamant that Richarlison will be crucial to Tottenham in the second half of the season if he remains fit but says the club face a “challenge” to keep the forward from breaking down again.

The Brazilian has started just one match this season, having previously spent two months on the sidelines with a muscle injury picked up in the reverse fixture against the Toffees in August.

Postecoglou says Richarlison and the club are “trying different ways” to keep him fit going forward but believes he can play an important role for struggling Spurs.

Asked how Spurs could keep Richarlison available, the head coach said: “That’s a challenge. We’ve tried different ways, and Richy is trying different ways.

Richarlison playing the final 12 minutes of the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal

AFP via Getty Images

“We’ve been really careful in the way we’ve brought him back this time. He’s probably been ready to go for a couple of weeks. We’ve given him extra work.

“I thought he was really good when he came on the other night [at Arsenal], you could see his quality.

“He is one of these guys that does lead by example, particularly when he plays. It’s great to have him back.

“With Richy, it’s about him gaining confidence in his body as well. We can do that in the next few weeks.

“He’ll certainly play a part in the Everton game. Hopefully get him some more minutes than the other night, because if we can keep him fit, I’ve got no doubt he’ll be a really important player for us.”

Richarlison has struggled with injuries since joining Tottenham from Everton in a deal worth up to £60million in 2022 but he impressed in spells last season, scoring two fine strikes in a 2-2 draw on Spurs' last visit to Goodison Park in February.

“When he played last year, that run of games, he was really good for us,” Postecoglou added. “I think he’s a really good fit for the way we play, in a couple of positions, centrally or out wide. If we can keep him fit between now and the end of the season, I’m sure he’s going to make an impact.”

The returns of Richarlison and Mikey Moore, who is available again after two months out with a virus, have been offset by a hamstring injury for on-loan Timo Werner, who is set to be out for up to a month.

There has been speculation that Spurs could send the German back to parent club RB Leipzig this month following a series of underwhelming displays but Postecoglou says the priority is to bolster numbers in his squad during the window.

“It was never part of the equation to get Timo out. I need to get players in not get players out so that was never part of it," Postecoglou said.

"[His injury] hasn’t helped because it means one less body again... it’s not just about rotating but impacts within games in terms of substitutions. Sometimes we’re really limited. Bringing Richy on the other night was great but now we’ve lost Timo we’re still down on numbers.”

Spurs head to Goddison Park on the back of a run of one win in nine league games, with only bottom two Southampton and Leicester City having taken fewer points than their five in the same period.

Spurs are just eight points clear of the drop zone and 14 from fourth-place but Postecoglou said talk of relegation or a late push for Europe were "irrelevant".

In spite of their grim form Postecoglou, 59, who is no longer the oldest manager in the top-flight after David Moyes' return to Everton, says he is still relishing the challenge of improving the club's fortunes.

“[Has it] aged me? No,” Postecoglou said. “I understand how, externally, it may look and feel for somebody like me.

“But part of what I love about what I do is that there is this constant search for solutions and how to overcome challenges. I enjoy that bit.

“I always reflect on the alternative, which is me not being involved. OK, maybe I look a bit younger and a bit more handsome. But I would be pretty bored.

“If I was sitting at home, I would be saying, ‘I wish I was there’. Knowing me, I probably would be saying, ‘I wish I was at Tottenham right now, I would love to see how we can get out of that situation’.

“I understand that, externally, you’re probably going, ‘God, he must be living a nightmare at the moment’, but it’s not my existence... it doesn’t affect me in the way that people may assume."