At first glance, the injury to Moussa Sissoko might have looked to be good news for Oliver Skipp.
With Tanguy Ndombele and Eric Dier also constantly on the sidelines, one might think that the unavailability of Tottenham’s most reliable central midfielder until April, according to Sky Sports, would create an opportunity for 19-year-old Skipp to gain some invaluable Premier League experience.
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However, even with our growing injury problems in midfield, you sense that Jose Mourinho would be reluctant to put his full trust in the teenager. The fragility of our current form makes this scenario even more unlikely.
Sky Sports reports that we will look to sign a midfielder on loan.
(More on that can of worms another time).
Mauricio Pochettino preferred to keep the club’s best young prospects close to home, but The Athletic reports that stance was set to change in January, with Mourinho of the opinion that a loan move could be more beneficial.
And that is exactly the case with Skipp – at least before the Sissoko injury.
The Athletic understands that Mourinho now intends to keep hold of Skipp to maintain safe numbers in midfield, ending the prospect of a loan out.
That means more warming the bench for Skipp, at a time when playing regularly in the Championship could have fast-tracked his development.
Look at what years inside Pochettino’s prison has done to the once promising career of Kyle Walker-Peters. Skipp was so close to freedom.