OPINION
With Harry Winks returning to full training Moussa Sissoko’s time in the Tottenham first-team should come to an instant end.
Spurs confirmed via their official Twitter account on Friday that the 22-year-old midfielder was fit enough to resume full training after an ankle injury had recently kept him on the sidelines.
TEAM NEWS: @Serge_aurier (calf) & @HarryWinks (ankle) have returned to full training. pic.twitter.com/le0unUvcTe
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 2, 2018
Winks’ ankle injury had stopped him from featuring in Spurs’ last three Premier League games as well as both of their outings in the FA Cup.
Ahead of his injury, the central midfielder made 22 appearances for Tottenham this season and was vital to their success in the Champions League as he played in all but one of their games in the competition.
While Winks was out injured, Mauricio Pochettino had less options to choose from in the middle of the park.
Sissoko has been regularly featuring since the start of the season, but his recent performances have been woeful and yet due to having no any other options, Pochettino has still been forced to use him.
The 28-year-old has benefited from Spurs’ hectic fixture schedule in recent weeks, as Sissoko would have not featured at all if his manager had any other choice.
Though truth be told the French international has never looked capable of being the player Tottenham need at the club, ever since he was bought in 2016 for £30 million, according to the BBC,from Newcastle United.
This is shown by the fact he has only scored two, while grabbing seven assists, during his 68 appearances for the club.
Sissoko also adds nothing to the club defensively as more often than not his casualness on the ball leads him to being liability if anything.
This is the complete opposite to Winks, despite the England international being six-years younger and costing the club nothing in transfer fees as he rose through Spurs’ youth system.
The 22-year-old midfielder is comfortable on the ball, hard-working and a reliable presence to have in the team.
Winks’ even managed to stay level headed and looked assured on the ball when playing Real Madrid at the Bernabeu earlier this season, as he put in a career-defining performance.
In the second half of the season, Spurs really need to up their game in order to have a successful campaign.
Pochettino needs to ensure Tottenham finish in the top four, they currently sit fifth, and the manager should add the FA Cup to Spurs’ trophy cabinet.
Spurs have very good chance of developing the winning mentality they need by lifting the cup this season, as Liverpool and Arsenal have made Tottenham’s job easier by already crashing out of the competition.
For Pochettino to meet these targets, he needs a player like Winks’ in his midfield rather than Sissoko who should have never been signed in the first place.
So with Winks soon to be available again after returning to training, Sissoko should find himself out in the cold after proving once and for all he’s not good enough to be a Tottenham player.