Hugo Lloris to keep Tottenham captaincy despite drink driving plea

Hugo Lloris had his day in court yesterday where he pled guilty to a charge of drink driving and was sentenced to a hefty fine and 20 months with a suspended license. But apart from reports of a club-enforced fine of two weeks’ wages, he will face no other repercussions from the club.

Mauricio Pochettino confirmed that Lloris will miss this Saturday’s match against Liverpool due to a thigh strain he picked up in training, one that caused him to also miss Spurs’ loss at Watford. But in his pre-match press conference, Pochettino said that he will keep his role as Tottenham’s club captain, and that Poch considers the matter closed.

“Of course [Hugo] is the first [person] that regrets everything, and all that happened yesterday is not good. Of course he doesn’t feel great. He said he was guilty of this situation and it’s irresponsible. He’s a man. But I think the most important thing is everyone can make a mistake. He made a mistake and he’s suffering all the punishment of society.

“Of course he’s punishing himself. But of course we’re not God, that we can judge people. Only we need to try, that he understands, and how he understands that it was a mistake. Then we’re all men and women and we can all make mistakes. That is a massive lesson for everyone. He’s the first, he told me ‘Gaffer it’s a massive lesson for me. I made a mistake and now I need to pay’. Like the man that he is, he’s going to pay and accept everything.”

In Hugo’s absence on Saturday, Harry Kane will wear the captain’s arm band against Liverpool. The club indicated that Lloris could be out for a few weeks as he attempts to come back from his injury.

One player who could be set for a return is Harry Winks, who Pochettino hinted could be ready to start matches again after a couple of cameos in recent weeks. The young midfielder is dealing with the aftermath of two serious ankle injuries that kept him out for most of last season. Now he’s back, but he’s trying to adapt to the reality that he will probably have some chronic ankle pain going forward.

“[Winks] is close because I am happy with him. The last two weeks was fantastic for him, he was training so hard and I am so happy with his evolution. He is so close.

“It is a chronic injury. He needs to adapt and understand and accept that he needs to play with this little bit of pain. For a young player it is difficult to accept that because you want to feel 100 per cent and not feel anything in your body and feel free. He has discovered a different feeling and he has to accept that problem can affect you but not affect you in your mind. You need to live with this small thing.”

This is typical of athletes who are coming back after major injuries. Winksy is probably dealing with the fact that there’s always going to be a little niggle in that ankle, and the trick now is to accept it and not feel as though it is a hinderance to the way he wants to play. That’s hard, but something that he can overcome. Pochettino still clearly believes there are big things to come from Harry Winks, and he might get a chance to show it this Saturday.