It is now one week since Tottenham crashed out of the Europa League following an embarrassing round of 16 exit against Dinamo Zagreb.
Leading 2-0 from the first leg and really just needing to score an early goal out there to kill off the tie, Spurs lost 3-0 on the night to see their European journey that promised so much end in disarray.
Stating ahead of the match that he would be very unhappy if they advanced to the final eight but lost on the night, Mourinho was seething about what unfolded right in front of his eyes.
With the Europa League seen as a way into next season’s Champions League by winning the trophy in Gdansk in May, Spurs’ only route into Europe’s premier club competition is now via the league.
Only three points behind Chelsea in fourth with nine games left, the Lilywhites just have the Premier League and a Carabao Cup final to concentrate on in the final two months of the season.
Using the Europa League to rotate his squad and give those on the periphery of the starting XI a go to stake their claim for a regular spot, a number of players will now have to put up with limited minutes as the head coach can start with his strongest XI week in, week out as they have no other distractions.
That can certainly work in their favour in the top-four race, especially as Chelsea have to balance Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup football.
So which Spurs players could now struggle for regular action following their Europa League elimination? football.london takes a look.
Matt Doherty
Doherty appears to have an uphill battle in his quest to become a Tottenham regular in the final ten games of the campaign.
In and out of the side to begin with this season due to his mixed form, Mourinho did praise his performances during his recent run in the team, but he was left out of the matchday squad completely at Aston Villa.
Rather than plumping for the experience of the 29-year-old on the bench, the boss instead decided to go with academy players Dane Scarlett and Alfie Devine in his matchday 20 at Villa Park.
His team selection was rather telling indeed.
(Image: Ashley Western/MB Media/Getty Images)
With Japhet Tanganga really making a case for the right-back spot with an excellent display in the Midlands, and with Serge Aurier also in contention for the spot, Doherty may indeed find himself struggling for minutes in the team’s remaining games.
Harry Winks
Winks was also another player to be left out completely at Aston Villa on Sunday evening.
Starting in the Dinamo Zagreb game as Mourinho changed things about in midfield, the England international was hooked after 68 minutes and he didn’t look impressed about it at all.
It really has been a strange league season for the player as he started the term in midfield before finding himself out of the matchday squad completely over the winter months.
So far playing more minutes in the Europa League than the Premier League this campaign, Winks is definitely going to find it hard to get pitch time with Tanguy Ndombele, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Giovani Lo Celso and Moussa Sissoko ahead of him in the pecking order.
Eric Dier
One of the first names on the teamsheet at the start of the season, Dier has been an unused substitute in Tottenham’s last five league games.
He’s definitely slipped down the pecking order and Joe Rodon’s good showing at the weekend has definitely not helped his cause at all.
Given Toby Alderweireld missed out on the squad against Aston Villa due to illness, it will be interesting to see which player misses out on the matchday 20 now as Mourinho tends to only name one centre-back amongst his nine substitutes.
(Image: Visionhaus)
It could well be Dier who is the unlucky one as Davinson Sanchez has been a regular, Alderweireld has started in four of their last five league games and Rodon really caught the eye at the weekend.
The lack of Europa League football could mean it’s a very frustrating end to the season for him.
Moussa Sissoko
Sissoko did come on for the final few minutes on Sunday evening and he may indeed have to do with a bit-part role in the remaining months.
Hojbjerg and Ndombele are Mourinho’s first-choice midfield pair, with Lo Celso also capable of operating in the middle if not used in a different role by his boss.
Sissoko has three players ahead of him in the pecking order and it’s hard to see how he gets the nod ahead of them at this rate.
Ahead of Winks in the midfield battle, the experienced Frenchman may just have to make do with minutes off the bench now it’s only Premier League football and a Carabao Cup final to concentrate on.
Dele Alli
Alli is another player who is going to struggle for a starting spot in Tottenham’s last ten fixtures.
Coming back into favour over the past two months with some decent showings, he’s played in four of the team’s last six league games, but three of those came from the bench late on.
Helped by Mourinho’s decision to drop Ndombele back slightly deeper from his more advanced role, Lucas Moura has made the No.10 position his own and he doesn’t look like losing it given his outstanding performances.
Erik Lamela and Lo Celso are also options to operate there, as is Ndombele if Mourinho wants to push the talented player further upfield to have more an impact in the final third.
(Image: Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
Steven Bergwijn
Mourinho’s choice on the right-wing during the first part of the season, Bergwijn has fallen out of favour in recent months due to the form of others.
Lucas and Lamela are ahead of him now on merit, with Gareth Bale also looking a lot better after such a frustrating opening couple of months following his return to Spurs from Real Madrid.
Bergwijn did get 24 minutes away at Aston Villa and he will be hoping it is the start of him getting more Premier League action after his previous appearance in the top flight came in the 2-0 win over West Brom in February.
The team’s Europa League exit is most definitely a blow to him and it means he’s only going to have limited minutes to impress if he is given game time by Mourinho.
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Ben Davies
Davies’ minutes could also now plummet after starting in all of Tottenham’s 13 European games this season.
Currently on the treatment table with what Wales assistant manager Robert Page described as a “significant” injury, there may only be a handful of games left to play by the time he is back to full fitness.
Sergio Reguilon is Mourinho’s first-choice left-back and the fact Spurs are going to now have a week between games means the Spaniard should be starting in every match.
While the boss may change things about in the odd game, Davies may not actually feature that much in the ten matches Spurs have left to play.
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