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Spurs dealt Doherty blow
Tottenham full-back Matt Doherty will not feature again this season after suffering a medial collateral ligament injury.
The Irishman, 30, will be sidelined for around 12 weeks after limping off during the first half of Spurs’ 4-0 win at Aston Villa on Saturday.
It comes as a bitter blow to ex-Wolves man Doherty, who has enjoyed an impressive run of form since the arrival of Antonio Conte in North London last November.
The 52-year-old had initially been hopeful of a quick recovery for the defender, saying in his post-match comments: “Matt tried to continue to stay on the pitch. This showed his resilience, his desire to continue to play.
“I hope it’s nothing serious, because we need him. Now, we have to wait one day, two days, and the doctors have to check him.”
Conte will now turn to alternatives for Spurs’ final seven fixtures, with Sergio Reguilon likely to step in at wing-back in Doherty’s absence.
Mahrez feels the love
Pep Guardiola still has plenty of love for Riyad Mahrez despite the Algerian’s last-minute miss in Manchester City’s thrilling 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
The Premier League’s top two could not be split at the Etihad, leaving the title race wide open heading with seven games to play — though things could have been very different.
Mahrez, 31, spurned a glorious chance to put City four points clear at the summit, lofting his effort tamely over the crossbar when trying to lob Alisson.
But Guardiola only had positive things to say about his winger, who initially was forced to settle for a spot on the bench.
He said: “I’m in love with Riyad [Mahrez]. He is an incredible player and person. Today, we thought we needed a different quality up front. We will need him until the end of the season.”
Kevin De Bruyne, who opened the scoring for City early in the first half, also had sympathy for his team-mate.
The Belgian said: “He chose to chip the keeper. If it goes in, it’s a wondergoal, but it didn’t go in and that can happen.”
Mahrez will hope to return to the starting line-up when City head to Atletico Madrid for their Champions League quarter-final second leg on Wednesday — a tie they lead 1-0.
