Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham will cope

Tottenham face the unenviable task of playing six vital matches over the next 17 days, but Mauricio Pochettino is confident his side can cope.

The Argentinian’s start to life at White Hart Lane was not straightforward, but the Capital One Cup final against Chelsea on March 1 offers him the opportunity to end his first season at the helm with silverware.

Spurs have emerged as genuine top-four contenders in that period and, furthermore, will resume a two-pronged trophy hunt tonight, when Fiorentina visit for the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie (8.05pm, live on BT Sport 2).

The return fixture comes just three days before the Wembley showdown against Chelsea, while the north Londoners also face Premier League matches against West Ham, Swansea and QPR in a frantic 17-day spell.

“This is our 42nd official game tomorrow in seven months,” Pochettino said ahead of Fiorentina’s visit.

“It’s important to manage the squad and always analyse after the games each case and each player. And after to be clever and select the best player to play in each game. For me, I prefer to play every three days because it’s a good sign we are in all competitions.”