Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari played through the pain barrier for his Italian club Inter Milan in his first Champions League start for the side on Tuesday. Muntari has been out of favour since the start of the season but injuries in the club forced coach Rafael Benitez to give the Ghanaian starting place but it ended in disappoints Benitez believes Tottenham's physical prowess was the difference between the two sides in Tuesday's Champions League encounter. The Spaniard also lamented his players for failing to do their jobs properly as they were defeated 3-1 at White Hart Lane. "They were physically stronger and faster than us," Benitez told Sky. "This was the difference every time we lost the ball. "We also had to play better one-on-one football marking our opponents, but we were not able to and this is what determined the loss." The former Liverpool boss bemoaned injuries in midfield, where Dejan Stankovic and Esteban Cambiasso were notable absentees, while former Portsmouth man Sulley Muntari played through the pain barrier. "We knew that he [Muntari] had calf problems," said Benitez, "but he wanted to play and there weren't too many other alternatives. "Our midfield was missing quality players in Stankovic and Cambiasso - we need to resolve this problem. He added: "Now, it's up to us to progress to the next stage of the tournament; if we win [against Twente], we will go through, otherwise, we shall see. "The players know they did not play a good match, so I don't have much to say to them. They will work hard to prepare themselves for the next one."