OPINION
Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele has been ruled out for six weeks, according to Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad, and it could mean that he’s played his last game for the club.
The report claims that he will be unavailable for the international games coming up.
But he will also miss crucial Premier League games against Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as the two must-win Champions League games against Barcelona and Inter Milan.
It’s is a big blow for Mousa Dembele and the club, but not entirely unexpected. Mauricio Pochettino has long been trying to manage Dembele through games and it seems he’s always very close to another injury.
His future at the club is also under heavy speculation at the moment. His contract expires at the end of the season and it’s very unlikely that he’ll sign an extension. The January window is Tottenham’s last chance to sell him on and make some good money on a player who will still be in high demand.
That means that he might well have played his last game for the club.
The January transfer window opens on January 1, maybe a week after Dembele returns to action.
Spurs probably won’t want to risk playing him again before selling him – another injury could wreck their chances of a big-money deal.
If Dembele has played his last game for Spurs it will be a sad end to a brilliant career.
It might well be that Pochettino brings him on in the final few minutes of a game already won to let the fans give him the send-off he deserves.
That would be a nice touch for a player who’s given a lot in the Tottenham colours.