Tottenham Hotspur boss Ryan Mason handed a chance to Japhet Tanganga on Sunday, in part due to Serge Aurier’s absence.
Spurs took on Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday afternoon, and claimed a comfortable 2-0 win thanks to goals from Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Tanganga started at right back, as he was given the nod over Matt Doherty with Aurier not even involved.
The Ivorian wasn’t even on the bench as speculation surrounds his Tottenham future, leaving some to wonder whether this was the beginning of the end for him.
Mason has now spoken to Football.London about Aurier, claiming Spurs aren’t even sure what exactly is wrong with Aurier and whether he will be fit to face Aston Villa in midweek.
Mason claims Aurier trained all week but didn’t feel 100% before the game, so Spurs chose to leave him out and will now assess him on a day-to-day basis.
“We are not too sure with Serge,” said Mason. “He trained all week, but he didn’t feel 100 per cent and we didn’t feel it was right to have a player on the pitch that isn’t 100 per cent but we are going to assess him day by day and go from there,” he added.
The official line on Aurier was that he had a groin injury, though some may believe that he is being held out ahead of a potential transfer.
With his contract expiring in 2022, Spurs are likely to want to sell this summer rather than lose him for free.
If Aurier doesn’t return over the coming week, he has likely played his final game for Spurs – and it’s now time for Tanganga to seize his opportunity.
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