Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has appeared to aim a subtle dig at Arsenal and Spurs’ other Premier League rivals over injury complaints.
Arsenal and Manchester City have portioned some of the blame for poor results this term on injuries to key stars, including Martin Odegaard and Rodri.
Spurs are in the middle of an injury crisis themselves with centre-back duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven both missing Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Fulham.
Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin started for the third time in a week but Postecoglou is refusing to use injuries as an excuse like others teams do.
‘I’ve seen so much violin-playing over [other teams having] one centre-back out, but we’re just supposed to get on with it,’ Postecoglou said.
The Spurs head coach then added: ‘Benny and Radu have been outstanding throughout this spell.
‘I mean there aren’t too many teams in the league who have both their centre-backs out. The beauty of it is these boys are, and I love that.
‘I love the characters they’re showing. I love the fact that they’re not seeking excuses or wanting me to make allowances for it.
‘But at some point, I need to also acknowledge the massive effort that all these guys are putting in. Radu and Ben were outstanding again.’
Spurs find themselves seventh in the Premier League table after their opening 13 games of the season.
They are five points behind north London rivals Arsenal, who currently sit in second place.
The next north London derby takes place next month as Arsenal host Spurs at the Emirates on January 15.
Arsenal beat Spurs 1-0 away from home when the sides last met in September, with Gabriel Magalhães scoring the only goal of the match.