Mourinho: Ryan Sessegnon could feature in Champions League vs. Leipzig

You might have heard, but Tottenham Hotspur are in a bit of an injury crisis at the moment. Currently, Spurs are without Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min, Moussa Sissoko, Ben Davies, Steven Bergwijn, and (apparently) Juan Foyth.

The injuries to Davies and Bergwijn are particularly concerning (well, they ALL are concerning but you know what I mean) because someone has to play on that left flank in tomorrow’s Champions League match at RB Leipzig. Well, it looks like Spurs have a player who’s just now returning to fitness and is about to get his chance. Ryan Sessegnon, come on down!

In his pre-match press conference ahead of the match, Spurs head coach Jose Mourinho pretty much confirmed that Sess would be playing an important role in tomorrow’s match, even if the real reason is that there aren’t that many players left that can actually play there.

“Sessegnon must help us. Ben Davies is not [here]. So it is between Ryan or Vertonghen to play left back. Tanganga, in a match where we need to attack, I don’t think Japhet can do it as a left back.

“Ryan can also give us options in attacking areas, he is basically a winger, so yes, we need everybody, especially without Steven who had adapted well and was performing very very well for us. I think it is time for Ryan to get his opportunity.”

Note that he doesn’t say exactly where Ryan will play, but it sure seems likely that he WILL play. Frankly, it might make the most sense to play Sess in Bergwijn’s spot as a more advanced left midfielder, but he could also easily play left back if Jan Vertonghen isn’t able to play two full matches in short succession.

Despite Spurs being a walking MASH unit, Mourinho seemed upbeat in the press conference, talking about Tottenham’s horrific injury luck and saying he’s never quite been in this situation as a manager. After all, when six of your best players are hurt, what’s one more?

“No, no, no and especially because we are speaking about, I don’t know if I use the correct word, traumatic injuries. Only the Harry Kane injury was not traumatic injury but a typical injury of the December period in the Premier League.

“But all the others - Hugo Lloris, Sissoko, Sonny, Steven now. Everything traumatic and never for a couple of weeks - always, but that’s what it is. We are used to it. We were psychologically more down with the other injures, because they were... this one, when you have three four or five to have six or seven is the same. No problem, no problem. We are very confident.

“I believe Tottenham is not going to be my only club without silverware. I won it at every club and I believe I am going to do it also with Tottenham.

“I have been here for three or four months. I get the team in very difficult situation and now even more difficult with so many problems we’re having but I believe in me, in the players, in the club and I believe that during my contract I am going to help the club to do it. It’s not me winning, it’s me helping the club and the players to do it.

“Tomorrow the mental side is very very important. Sometimes you win on quality, you win on options, you win on a phenomenal bench that can help you to turn a match around. In this moment that is not our case, we have a very small group of players, giving everything they can for each other.”

For sure, very few people are giving Tottenham a chance to come away with a victory in Leipzig, down 1-0 after the first leg, but those same people probably thought the same after the first leg against Ajax last season. Who knows what can happen?