TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino says he feels sorry for Australian football fans after leaving behind some of his club’s biggest stars for the trip to Melbourne, but says tough decisions need to be made sometimes for the future of the club.

The Argentine, speaking ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Juventus at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday, admitted he would have loved to have brought the likes of captain Jugo Lloris, Harry Kane, Eric Dier and Dele Alli for the International Champions Cup, but his players are “not machines”.

“I feel sorry too for our supporter, it would be great if all the players could be involved in the tour in Australia,” he said at AAMI Park.

“We could see last year in Sydney (when they played Sydney FC in 2015) it was amazing the welcome of our supporters. We feel sorry but I think they understand it is very difficult, they arrive a few days ago, we come here.

“It was a very difficult decision for me but it’s important they build their fitness after the whole season, very stressful season, Euros was very difficult.

“We always say the same. They are not machine; they feel, they need to rest, recovery, (they have maybe) only 15-20 days or more holiday. For them it’s very important to be fit for the whole season.

“We have ahead a very important season – with Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup - we need to be ready to compete.

“I think you appreciate, feel now it was a better decision, but in the same we feel very sorry for our supporters.

Mauricio Pochettino. Source: Reuters

“Sometimes we need to make strong decisions for the future of our team. It was important our players work in London.”

Pochettino also revealed that Clinton N’Jie, who was also left behind, is still part of his plans, but trio Nabil Bentaleb, Federico Fazio and Alex Pritchard know their futures lie elsewhere.

“I think it’s very clear their situation.

“They are not in my plan; they know, I made it clear with them, I communicated with them, it’s not a problem. They know the situation.”