Jose Mourinho has delivered an update on Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Victor Wanyama.
The 28-year-old Kenya captain has become a peripheral figure at Spurs in recent seasons, a serious knee injury after his impressive first campaign at the club limiting his appearances and fitness from then on.
Wanyama almost left Tottenham in the summer, but a transfer to Belgian side Club Brugge fell through.
He made a disastrous appearance from the bench at Leicester City, looking rusty as Spurs threw away their lead to lose at the King Power Stadium.
Mauricio Pochettino used him off the bench again against Southampton at the end of that game and got 90 minutes under his belt at Colchester United as Spurs crashed out of the Carabao Cup.
Wanyama has not been in a matchday squad since September and Mourinho was asked about the midfielder and the limbo he currently finds himself in.
"I know how good Victor is, I know he is not playing lately. Of course when you don't play regularly you lose a little bit of that match condition," said the new Tottenham head coach.
"He is fit, he is fine, he has no physical problems at all. But one thing is to be fit and another is to be match fitness, match intensity, match pace.
"He needs to play and in this moment, in this phase - me just arriving and trying to organise a team and trying to a few good results - it is difficult to bring him to the team a player in this situation.
"The ideal situation was for him to play and then when he plays he will be back to what Victor is and Victor is a very good player."
