Injury to Ben Davies might force Mourinho’s hand at Tottenham

Tottenham confirmed this morning that Ben Davies sustained ligament damage to his ankle, which should open the door for 19-year-old Ryan Sessegnon.

What looked like a fairly innocuous injury could require Davies to go under the knife. The Welshman had a strong outing against West Ham before limping off in the second half. Jose Mourinho had him in a more defensive role, offsetting perfectly Serge Aurier on the right, who was permitted with a license to maraud forward.

Davies will be forced on to the sideline for an undetermined period. But based on Spurs’ report, it appears he’ll be out for at least a few months. One’s misfortunes often leads to another’s big chance.

It’s time for Sessegnon to get his shot

Sessegnon is chomping at the bit, waiting patiently for his first senior appearance with Spurs in the Premier League since arriving from Fulham in the summer. Considering Danny Rose’s fall from grace, Sessegnon shouldn’t have to wait long to get his chance.

On Tuesday night against Olympiacos, Rose was once again Tottenham’s worst player. And without the manager’s trust, it will be hard for Rose to stake his claim on first choice left back. By default, he currently holds that position, but Sessegnon will get his chance to showcase his skills, maybe even as soon as Saturday when Bournemouth invade North London.

While Mourinho probably won’t risk starting Juan Foyth and Sessegnon in the same team, Sessegnon’s youth, agility and pace could complement Aurier well on the right. Although a home encounter against Bournemouth might be one of the only chances Mourinho has to start both youngsters. If he does start both, it would be seen as a brave, brazen move. One I’m all for.

Then again, Aurier enjoyed two outstanding performances in the span of three days and might need to rest this weekend. In that case, though, one might expect Foyth to pair Rose.

Regardless of who is selected this weekend, Davies’ unfortunate injury will force Mourinho’s hand, paving the path for Sessegnon to finally infiltrate the first team. We’ll have to wait to see whether he will perform well enough to unseat Rose as the club’s first choice left back.