Jose Mourinho has been a manager pleaded poverty when it comes to the options taken away from him through injury.
Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are both stuck out on the sidelines for Spurs to deny the Portuguese access to his two most potent match-winners.
After RB Leipzig knocked the north Londoners out of the Champions League, following an FA Cup loss to Norwich City, the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss again pointed to his injury list as a reason for his struggles.
He isn't wrong to say he is without players. In addition to Kane and Son, Mourinho had five other players out of action in Germany.
Ben Davies, Juan Foyth, Moussa Sissoko and Steven Bergwijn were ruled out ahead of the second leg tie before Davinson Sanchez was added to his manager's woes.
Of course, Spurs aren't the only club to have suffered due to the availability of their best footballers this season.
A look across London at another old Mourinho haunt shows up a Premier League boss getting more out of less.
Frank Lampard currently has nine injuries to contend with.
Jorginho, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante alone add up to almost a full midfield.
On top of that add his lead striker, Tammy Abraham and wingers Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic.
Marco van Ginkel makes it nine - a forgotten man whose Chelsea career is surely all but over at this point, but if Foyth counts for Mourinho so does the Dutchman when it comes to assessing Lampard.
What's more, Tottenham actually signed players in the summer and Janaury transfer windows. Chelsea did not, firstly due to a transfer ban and then out of choice.
Does Mourinho have an argument to make over how injuries have undermined his plans this season? Absolutely.
Are Tottenham's injuries a good enough excuse to not assess his work to try and make the best of it? Absolutely not.
Lampard has suffered more injuries. The Blues are in a better position in the Premier League and through to the next stage of the FA Cup.
Spurs were on their way to a Champions League final and top four this time last season. Their form has been poor but it wasn't so long ago that they were at least effective, if not excellent.
Having beaten his old manager at home and away already this season, Lampard is probably getting used to getting one over on Mourinho by now.
