Mauricio's five-point preview - Crystal Palace

The international break is over and we're back to business with a Premier League clash at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday. We sat down with Mauricio Pochettino after training on Thursday, and here's his latest 'five-point preview'.

1 - The international break

What has Mauricio been up to since our draw at Arsenal on 1 September?

Mauricio: "It’s not easy. After the holiday and pre-season, we played four games, then it’s another two weeks without competition. It’s tough. I reviewed a lot of things, worked, spent a few days in Barcelona, then back and watched a lot of international football, trying to be ready for a tough month ahead, seven games. It’s going to be exciting."

2 - Team news

Good and bad news - Eric Dier, Tanguy Ndombele, Ryan Sessegnon and Kyle Walker-Peters are back in training but Giovani Lo Celso is out and Davinson Sanchez a doubt after picking up injuries on international duty...

Mauricio: "First of all, we need to assess them (Dier, Ndombele, Sessegnon, Walker-Peters). They are training with the group but that does not mean they are ready to compete. It’s two different things. But of course I’m happy because they are going to be close to helping the team. The bad news is that Giovani Lo Celso got an injury playing for the Argentina national team. That’s really sad. It’s about the team, about the squad and I’m happy with some news, not as happy with other news."

3 - Palace/Roy Hodgson

What does Mauricio expect from Palace on Saturday - and what about his thoughts on Roy Hodgson?

Mauricio: "It will be a tough game. Palace have showed they are a strong team, a team that it’s difficult to create chances against, a team that beat Manchester United away (2-1 on 24 August). We know very well it’s going to be tough. I always talk about my respect for Roy. I admire him. He’s a great manager, he’s doing fantastically at Palace and that will make the game more difficult."

4 - Toon raiders

Mauricio responded to the suggestion that Newcastle may have provided a blueprint for visiting teams after their 1-0 win last time we played at the new stadium...

Mauricio: "Every game is different, circumstances are different, and the reality is this is going to be a different game to Newcastle. We hope we can change the result and that we play better than we played against Newcastle. We know very well that we need to improve on that performance and to start winning games."

5 - Seven games in 21 days

How does Mauricio feel about playing seven games in three competitions in the space of 21 days?

Mauricio: "That is why we need all the squad fit and the right mentality to compete at our best. All the players, for sure, are going to have the chance to show their quality. You need to enjoy it and to play seven games in 21 days, I am not going to complain. We are going to find solutions and we need to be strong. We cannot change that reality."