Tottenham Hotspur's 2-0 win over Manchester City last Saturday was somewhat marred by a major injury blow.
Toby Alderweireld has sustained a groin injury which leaves Spurs short at centre-back ahead of this week's Europa League clash against Ludogorets and London derby away at Chelsea.
The Belgium international limped off in the 81st minute and head coach Jose Mourinho delivered a worrying update in his post-match press conference.
"It's bad. It's a muscular injury in the adductor," Mourinho told football.london. "The dimension of course we don't know, we have to wait, but it's a difficult injury for sure.
"In the Premier League we have three centre-backs, in the Europa League we have don't have Joe Rodon, we only have two, but that's the way it is.
"We don't have anybody to blame. He played in the international matches that the team needed to win to qualify for the final four.
"With us he's playing so well we decided to play him rather than rest him.
"There's nobody to blame, just to recover as soon as possible."
Whilst Mourinho is facing a central defender shortage ahead of Ludogorets game, he may be able to call upon youngster Japhet Tanganga.
Another option for the game at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon is to hand Joe Rodon - ineligible for European action - a full Premier League debut after he replaced Alderweireld against City.
Then there's the option to recall Davinson Sanchez to partner Eric Dier.
With that said, it seems Mourinho has already delivered his verdict on the prospect of Sanchez partnering Dier against Chelsea.
The 24-year-old was criticised by Glen Hoddle for his part in Lior Refaelov's goal as Spurs were beaten 1-0 by Royal Antwerp in the Europa League.
"Davies obviously makes a dreadful mistake," Hoddle told BT Sport after the game. "Sanchez has got to make sure the path of that ball cannot be played so that Lloris comes into it and that the finish is at an angle rather than all the angles opened up and Refaelov finishes really well."
Interestingly, and perhaps tellingly, Sanchez has only made a matchday squad across any competition once ever since that defeat in Belgium and might have slipped behind Rodon in the pecking order.
Based on that, the chances of Sanchez earning a recall to the Spurs starting XI if Alderweireld is ruled out for the trip to Chelsea look very slim.
