Tottenham Hotspur captain Hugo Lloris says that their indifferent campaign in 2019/20 could be down to a limited recovery time after the UEFA Champions League final last season.

The North London outfit had a miraculous run to their first final in the competition but were not able to lift the trophy as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to fellow Premier League side Liverpool.

They have not been able to hit the same heights since, experiencing a troubling campaign which has seen them languish all the way down in eighth and also let former manager Mauricio Pochettino go.

Jose Mourinho has masterminded a slight revival in the capital but the team still have a long way to go to get into the UEFA Champions League positions. Spurs skipper Lloris says that their troubles this season could be down failing to recover from their defeat to the Reds.

The Frenchman said: “There is a risk when you go over your potential. Last season, we went on an incredible run in the Champions League and we finished the season on our knees. You don’t have time to recover from one season before you have to start a new one.

“And then there was the accumulation of things that provoked the situation and then a lot of injured players, the change of manager. It’s difficult to stay stable and to be always looking at the top.

“There is sometimes one season when everything goes against you. Maybe the consequence when you play four years making a huge effort to compete with the top teams and finish in the top four [every season], it’s a lot of accumulation and one season there is everything you cannot control. It can happen.”

Lloris and Tottenham will be back in action next Friday as the Premier League returns. They go up against Manchester United and are available at odds of 15/8 with Paddy Power to earn victory.