Lucas Moura is an exciting addition for Tottenham (Picture: Getty)
Lucas Moura will not play against Liverpool on Sunday, according to Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.
The winger joined Tottenham on transfer deadline day from Paris Saint-Germain in a £25million deal.
Moura will add some much needed pace to Spurs’ side and Tottenham fans have been hugely excited by the prospect of the Brazilian playing alongside Dele Alli and Harry Kane.
Tottenham travel to Anfield on Sunday to take on Liverpool, but Pochettino has warned Spurs supporters not to expect Moura to be named in the starting eleven.
‘Maybe he needs to work a little bit alone,’ Pochettino said.
‘Will he play on Sunday? I don’t believe it will be possible. Six or seven months with no play, it is difficult.
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Mauricio Pochettino takes his side to Anfield on Sunday (Picture: Getty)
‘Like when you are injured, and it is not easy to reach the same level of the group.’
Moura has played just 79 minutes this season and left PSG in search of regular football with this summer’s World Cup fast approaching.
Tottenham will be hoping Moura can rediscover the form that earned him a big-money move to PSG in 2013.
Liverpool 2017/18 Fixtures Tottenham (H) - Sun Feb 4
Southampton (A) - Sun Feb 11
Porto (A) - Wed Feb 14 (Champions League)
West Ham (H) - Sat Feb 24
Newcastle United (H) - Sat March 3
Porto (H) - Tues March 6 (Champions League)
Manchester United (A) - Sat March 10
Watford (H) - Sat March 17
Crystal Palace (A) - Sat March 31
Moura has barely played this season (Picture: Getty)
And although Pochettino understands the excitement surrounding Moura’s arrival, the Spurs manager has urged fans to be patient.
‘We signed a player that is not playing at PSG,’ he insisted.
‘We signed a player who has not competed for six or seven months. Of course for our fans it is an exciting name. And he came from a big club.
Tottenham 2017/18 Fixtures Liverpool (A) - Sun Feb 4
Arsenal (H) - Sat Feb 10
Juventus (A) - Tues Feb 13 (Champions League)
Crystal Palace (A) - Mon Feb 26
Huddersfield Town (H) - Sat March 3
Juventus (H) - Wed March 7 (Champions League)
Bournemouth (A) - Sun March 11
Newcastle United (H) - Fri March 16
‘But it is different to if you sign Neymar or Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. My expectation is that the player can help us.
‘But we cannot put too much pressure on him. He needs to adapt, he needs to know the Premier League, the philosophy of the new team, and there are plenty of examples here at the club – Son, Sissoko, Lamela – that they need time.
‘A lot of players with a lot of of quality struggled to adapt themselves in six months. It is not a signing that if he doesn’t score goals from the beginning, it is a mistake. That is why we need to be calm.’