Tanguy Ndombele came off during the first half (Picture: Getty)

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho accused Tanguy Ndombele of ‘always’ being injured after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Southampton.

Danny Ings’ strike in the first half gave the Saints a deserved win at St Mary’s after a poor display from Mourinho’s side on the south coast.

The defeat was compounded by injury to Harry Kane, who strained his hamstring stretching for a cross that he thought had drawn his side level only to see the goal ruled out by VAR.

There was already negative news for Mourinho in the first half when Ndombele was taken off with what appeared to be a groin injury.


It was a difficult afternoon for Mourinho (Picture: Getty)

Mourinho took a dig at the Frenchman after his side’s Boxing Day win against Brighton when he claimed Ndombele was not injured and simply did not want to play against the Seagulls.



‘I cannot say that he is injured because in five minutes we start a training session that you could watch from the stands and he will be training normally,’ said Mourinho.

And Mourinho has continued his criticism of the midfielder after today’s match by saying he’s ‘always’ injured.

‘He’s always injured,’ said Mourinho.

‘He’s injured, he’s not injured, he plays one match. This is the same since the beginning of the season.’

Ndombele has struggled for fitness (Picture: Getty)

Mourinho was similarly critical of the likes of Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba at Manchester United, while he made a point of praising the likes of Phil Jones and Marouane Fellaini for putting their bodies on the line.

John Terry once remarked that Mourinho would ‘ignore’ Chelsea players that were injured.

‘He would walk straight past you on the treatment table,’ said Terry.

‘But you’re sitting there as captain of the football club, you come in kind of looking for the high five from the gaffer.

‘You don’t get it, he blanks you and he says to the physio, while you’re there so he knows what he’s doing, ‘How long?’

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