Igor Tudor vows to boost Tottenham fitness amid relegation fight

Igor Tudor vows to boost Tottenham fitness amid relegation fight

Interim head coach Igor Tudor has admitted Tottenham Hotspur are not physically ready for the demands of a relegation battle, but insists he will "put some petrol in the engine" of his players as they try to avoid the drop from the Premier League.

Tudor took charge after the dismissal of Thomas Frank, inheriting a team that has won just two of its last 18 league matches and sits four points above the relegation zone ahead of Sunday's trip to Fulham.

After two weeks working with the squad, the Croatian said their physical condition is a major concern.

"Physically, I believe we are not in an amazing situation," Tudor said. "They have played lots of games in the last period without lots of players available and it meant the physical condition of the team has dropped down.

"So we need to use this period where we don't play the games to put some petrol in the engine so the engine starts to work better."

Tudor said fatigue has prevented Spurs from pressing effectively.

"They are fatigued. To do the pressing high you need to be fit, but all of them because if someone is not in the right shape there is a problem because someone is coming late," he said.

The squad has also been affected by injuries, with eight players sidelined and defender Cristian Romero suspended, although Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso could return against Fulham.

Tudor has already introduced intense training sessions to improve fitness levels and said the extra work is unavoidable.

"That's the only way - running," he said. "The pitch is 100 yards, it's long. So you need to run.

"Players never like runs without the ball."

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