Tottenham Hotspur were only able to pick up a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough yesterday.
Winks was replaced by Erik Lamela just before the hour mark during Spurs’s 1-1 draw at the Riverside Stadium.
The England international midfielder had taken a blow to the ankle just before half-time.
But Mourinho insists that the Spurs man wanted to return to the pitch for the second-half of the contest.
“It was a tactical change but also because he had a little injury,” Mourinho said when asked about taking Winks off.
“At half-time he said he was going to try and stay on and he did and he could have stayed in the game.”
Lamela’s introduction seemed to spark Spurs into life yesterday, as they came from behind to avoid an upset.
Tottenham were not at their best during the contest, but Lamela did at least provide them with a forward spark which they had been lacking.
In the end Spurs scored through Lucas Moura, as they set up a replay in North London against the Championship side.
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