Tottenham Hotspur youngster Ryan Sessegnon was forced to withdraw from the matchday squad for Saturday's 2-1 loss to Chelsea after picking up a hamstring injury in the build-up.
With Spurs struggling for numbers in attack following injuries to both Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, it was thought that Sessegnon would at least make the bench to give José Mourinho some more options.
It was a surprise to see the 19-year-old completely omitted from the team on Saturday, but the Evening Standard state that his absence was down to a hamstring injury which was only detected in the dressing room before the game.
There is no mention of the severity of the issue or whether he will need a period on the sidelines to recover, but the news will certainly have come as a huge blow to Mourinho, who has spoken publicly of his desire to have more forwards to call upon.
He recently admitted the likes of Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn and Giovani Lo Celso were 'dead' as they are simply too tired, so it seems likely that he would have turned to Sessegnon at some point if he could have.
The teenager has endured a tricky start to his Spurs career. He has managed just 11 appearances in all competitions this season, having missed the first two months of the campaign with another hamstring injury.
He did enjoy a run of four starts in six games between December and January, but has since been relegated back to the bench or dropped from the matchday squad, and that trend now looks set to continue for a little while longer.
Next up for Spurs is a meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 1 March, but whether Sessegnon will be available to feature is currently unknown.
Mourinho will certainly want his squad to be as strong as possible for the final few months of the season. Spurs currently find themselves sixth in the Premier League table, just one point behind fifth and four points away from the top four.
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Source : 90min