Mourinho: Ndombele is always injured

Harry Kane and Tanguy Ndombele were both injured on a tough New Year's Day for Tottenham and head coach Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho was downbeat on the fitness of club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele, who was substituted just 25 minutes into only his 10th Premier League start.

Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho was not optimistic as he waited to learn the extent of Harry Kane's hamstring injury.

The Spurs striker – the stand-in captain in the absence of Hugo Lloris – pulled up as he scored a goal against Southampton on New Year's Day that was subsequently ruled out for offside.

Kane had to be substituted, nursing his left hamstring, and Mourinho had not been updated on his status before his post-match news conference.

"It is negative. For Harry to come out is negative," he said. "The hamstring is always negative.

"Is it a tear? Is it a small thing? Is it a spasm, a contraction? At this moment, I cannot say."

READ | Ings leads Southampton to win over Tottenham as Kane limps off

Mourinho felt Kane's absence, with Son Heung-min suspended, was a particular hindrance to his side late on at St Mary's Stadium as the team chased an equaliser having been trailing since Danny Ings' goal in the 17th minute.

"The game was not easy. The second half was not easy," he said. "They were winning, they were defending, basically with 10 players, fighting hard, being aggressive, the good aggressive.

"There were lots of fouls, lots of stoppages. The ball boys were well coached in the delaying of the game. There was not much play.

"When we lose our target man Harry Kane, we know we don't have the part of the game where we are normally more dominant. We play the last 15 minutes plus added time without a striker. That is even more difficult."

Mourinho was similarly downbeat on the fitness of club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele, who was substituted just 25 minutes into only his 10th Premier League start.

"He's always injured," Mourinho said. "He's injured, he's not injured, he plays one match, next week he's injured, he plays another match, we are full of hopes.

"This is it since the beginning of the season. Of course, it is a concern.

"You think you have a good player, you think he is in an evolution process, he plays very well against Norwich City, you are full of hopes that today he is ready for it.

"And he is not ready for it. I cannot say much more than that. It's a situation from the beginning of the season."