Tottenham defender was left out of their biggest game of the season.
Tottenham are on a high after cruising to victory against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in midweek.
For Kieran Trippier, it was a bitter sweet moment, and not how he imagined their success to come.
That’s because Trippier watched the game from the bench, dropped for Serge Aurier.
Trippier has had a very mixed month, in and out of the Tottenham team. He faces a fight to re-establish himself as clear first choice.
An opportunity could come in the second leg in Germany if Spurs rotate their team.
Whether he is selected for crucial upcoming games against Arsenal and Chelsea will offer a bigger clue to how Mauricio Pochettino regards him.
Trippier starred at the World Cup for England last summer and has been suffering with Harry Kane out of he team, with their instinctive connection no longer showing off his crossing ability from right-back.
This is the biggest challenge Trippier has faced since joining the club.
Yes, Bigger than battling Kyle Walker
When he was signed, Trippier was the underdog, and nobody expected him to displace Kyle Walker.
The fact that he did is to his credit, but now Trippier is dealing with a different type of challenge.
He has pressure and expectation to deal with, and this is putting his performances in the spotlight with more intensity.
The 28-year-old needs to battle through it, and win his place back from Serge Aurier.
At present, the right-back spot at Tottenham is up for grabs.
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