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Hugo Lloris: Tottenham struggle to combine Premier League and Champions League

Hugo Lloris applauds Spurs fans after the 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen

Hugo Lloris admits Tottenham need to question whether they are ready to compete on two fronts following their Champions League exit.

Mauricio Pochettino's side lost 2-1 in Monaco on Tuesday, despite captain Lloris saving a first-half penalty from Radamel Falcao, meaning the Ligue 1 side progressed to the knockout stage as Group E winners while Bayer Leverkusen are guaranteed to finish second.

Spurs now must set their sights on getting a point at home against CSKA Moscow in their final group match to ensure they finish third and claim a Europa League spot.

Lloris described the exit as a failure and says playing in the Europa League would be little consolation to him and his team-mates.

Hugo Lloris saves a Radamel Falcao penalty
Image: Hugo Lloris saves a Radamel Falcao penalty

"It makes for a lot of frustration, I can't hide that," Lloris said. "We will talk between ourselves and try to find a solution.

"Maybe we are not ready to manage Premier League and Champions League campaigns at the same time, but we need to question ourselves about that.

"Everyone at the club was excited to play this competition and all the players too, but we failed all together. We had bigger expectations in this group stage. We will not go through, we are still fighting for the Europa League but it's not enough for a club like Spurs. It's a big disappointment.

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"We need to digest this and look forward to the game at Chelsea on Saturday."

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20:  Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham Hotspur gestures during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at
Image: Jan Vertonghen did not start for Tottenham against Monaco

Manager Pochettino raised some eyebrows with his team selection for the game at the Stade Louis II as he elected to leave Jan Vertonghen, Kyle Walker and Christian Eriksen on the bench, instead opting for Kevin Wimmer, Kieran Trippier and Harry Winks.

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Lloris was not keen to speculate on his manager's reasoning for his selection but did say the team should be capable of performing to a much higher standard, regardless of who is starting.

"It is a question for the manager," Lloris said. "We know we have a good squad and sometimes it can happen that the manager rotates, but that kind of thing shouldn't affect the team because we have enough quality in the squad."

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