Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed on their official website that Lucas Moura will not feature in Wednesday night’s FA Cup clash with Newport County as he is ineligible.
The Brazil international concluded a transfer from Paris Saint-Germain to Spurs on transfer deadline day and fans of the North London club are desperate to see their new signing in action.
TEAM NEWS: @LucasMoura7 (ineligible) was not registered before the first game against @NewportCounty and therefore cannot be selected for the replay. pic.twitter.com/N4UIUiVexf
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 6, 2018
However, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has conceded that Moura is short of match fitness after being starved of football in the French capital, with the new man not in Sunday’s squad for the 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
Spurs have also confirmed that the South American is unable to feature in the FA Cup fourth round replay as he was not registered ahead of the first clash against the Welsh minnows.
For Tottenham, the news robs Pochettino of an ideal opportunity for Moura to be introduced to English football.
However, with the North London derby to play against Arsenal on Saturday, there is every chance that the flying winger could play a role in the clash at Wembley.
Tottenham remain overly reliant on the likes of Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli in attacking midfield areas and as such the quicker that Moura can get up to speed and provide competition for places, the better.
The Brazilian will have to work hard to get into the Spurs side, despite his quality, and any ambitions he has of walking straight into the starting XI will not materialise.
That said, once Moura finds his feet at Tottenham the 25-year-old will be a real asset and unleashing him from the bench against a tiring Arsenal defence at the weekend could make for compelling viewing.