An injury provided a big opportunity to Tottenham Hotspur loanee Clinton N’Jie and he seized it.
Tottenham’s Clinton Njie sat in the stands
Marseille’s recent signing of Dimitri Payet threatened to limit Clinton N’Jie’s playing time, with the on loan Tottenham winger already often used as a substitute.
But an injury to Swansea City loanee Bafetimbi Gomis provided N’Jie with a surprise opportunity in a central striker role this weekend.
The Cameroonian international seized his chance, scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Rennes.
Flanked by Payet on one side and ex-Newcastle winger Florian Thauvin on the other, N’Jie led the line effectively, and will have earned himself further opportunities.
Gomis is Marseille’s top scorer with 16 goals, averaging one every 123 minutes.
He is expected to be out for four to six weeks with a knee ligament problem, ESPN report.
N’Jie now has four goals in 16 appearances for Marseille this season, with the other three coming when he was playing out wide.
He has put himself in pole position to cover for Gomis, and his fortunes over the next month should make Tottenham sit up and pay attention one way or another.
Spurs lack cover for Harry Kane, with Vincent Janssen proving as unproductive up front as N’Jie did out wide in his debut season at White Hart Lane.
If N’Jie can prove an adequate or better back-up striker, he could earn himself a similar role at Spurs next season, or at least put himself in the reckoning to do so.
Second chance? Tottenham’s Clinton Njie
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