Spurs will be without their first-choice forward line with Son Heung-min joining Harry Kane on the sidelines.

The South Korea international has had surgery on a broken arm and could miss the rest of the season.

"They are probably thinking, 'Wow, now is the time to kill them'," said Mourinho.

"I understand why they think that way but we are going to give everything and I don't think it's going to be easy for Leipzig to play against us."

Tottenham reached the final of the competition last season, losing to Liverpool in Madrid. They are currently on a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

However, Leipzig are second in Germany's Bundesliga, just a point behind leaders Bayern Munich. They also boast one of the most in-form strikers in Europe in Timo Werner, who has scored 25 times in 31 appearances in all competitions this season.

"Leipzig have the power of a very good team, very good players and of course an emergent club without a history like the big ones that you have in Europe but with the potential to be first in the Bundesliga for many months," said Mourinho.

"To be second, one point behind and to be fighting for the title - I think that tells a lot."

Striker crisis?

Son has 14 goals and eight assists in the league and Champions League this season.

The official line from Tottenham is that he will be missing for a "number of weeks". However, Mourinho fears his the injury - which the player suffered during the 3-2 win at Aston Villa on Sunday - could end his season.

With Kane also absent because of a hamstring injury, it leaves Mourinho with a dilemma to solve in attack.

Lucas Moura and January-signing Steven Bergwijn are the most likely candidates to deputise up front.

Bergwijn scored 14 goals for Ajax last season, scored five in 16 league games before joining Spurs and scored on his debut for the London club, against Manchester City.

Moura showed he is capable in front of goal with 15 strikes last season, including two hat-tricks - most famously in the Champions League semi-final against Ajax. He has scored seven times in all competitions this campaign.

Other options include midfielder Dele Alli or academy graduate striker Troy Parrott, although Mourinho said on Tuesday that he felt the latter was "not ready".

Defensive issues for Leipzig

Leipzig are enjoying their second Champions League campaign, with 32-year-old coach Julian Nagelsmann steering them to the last 16 for the first time in his debut season in charge.

They set a new Bundesliga record on Saturday by scoring three goals or more for a ninth top-flight game in a row.

However, Nagelsmann has selection issues of his own, at centre-back, where Dayot Upamecano is suspended and Ibrahima Konate and Willi Orban are injured.

It could mean that on-loan Chelsea defender Ethan Ampadu starts.

Match stats

Head-to-head

• This will be the first encounter between Tottenham and RB Leipzig. It's also the first time the team from Leipzig faces an English club in a competitive fixture, while Spurs will be facing German opposition in the UCL last 16 for the second consecutive season, after knocking out Borussia Dortmund 4-0 on aggregate in 2018-19.
• The only previous game between Tottenham and a German team at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ended in a 7-2 win for Bayern Munich, in October this season. Tottenham's two Champions League games against German opposition this season have produced 13 goals.
• The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has seen more goals than any other venue in this season's Champions League (20 goals; 11 for Tottenham, 9 against).

Tottenham

• Losing finalists in 2018-19, Tottenham are in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the third consecutive season - they had only made it past the group phase once before (2010-11).
• Tottenham conceded 14 goals in this season's Champions League group phase, the highest tally among the remaining teams in the competition. Half of those goals came in their 7-2 home game defeat against Bayern Munich.
• Only one of Tottenham's 21 Champions League home games has ended in a draw (0-0 v AC Milan, March 2011).
• Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho last made it past the last 16 of the Champions League six years ago, leading Chelsea to the semi-finals in 2013-14. It's also nearly 10 years since he last reached the final, with Inter Milan in 2010.
• Injured Tottenham forward Son has scored nine goals in his last 10 Champions League starts. In the knockout stages with Spurs, his record is five goals in seven starts.

RB Leipzig

• RB Leipzig have reached the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in their history. Wolfsburg are the last German team - outside of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund - to make it past the last 16, back in 2015-16.
• RB Leipzig lost their first two Champions League away games but are since unbeaten in their last four matches on the road (W3 D1), scoring 10 goals.
• Between them, Timo Werner (6) and Emil Forsberg (5) have scored over half of RB Leipzig's all-time goals in the Champions League (55%, 11 out of 20).