Mourinho provides update on 21-year-old Spurs midfielder’s “sad situation”

Jose Mourinho has said he sympathises with Gedson Fernandes’ lack of game time at Tottenham, suggesting the midfielder will return to Benfica next month.

Gedson joined Spurs on an 18-month loan from Benfica in January but has barely featured this season. He was left out of the Europa League squad and hasn’t been given a look-in in the Premier League.

And Mourinho has now hinted the 21-year-old is likely to be recalled by Benfica next month.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of Tottenham’s crunch clash with Leicester City this weekend, Mourinho (via Football London) said: “The player because he deserves all our respect and Benfica because as a friendly club deserves our respect.

“So what they decide is fundamental and what they decide will prevail. The situation is sad because he was out of the Europa League list and by being out of that list reduced immediately a chance of nine matches that we already played in the Europa League, where we had five substitutions where we rotated the players a lot and we can bring to the bench 12 players.

“To be out of these nine matches I believe that breaks confidence levels and even dynamics and routines and was very bad for him.

“Apart from that, then you go to the Premier League where he can play, but by having in the Premier League only until now six guys on the bench and the ‘keeper I think it’s normal you go for players with more routine and match fitness.

“So these six months become really, really bad for us and for him and on top of it he’s a kid, it’s incredible what I’m going to say, but since he arrived he didn’t miss one single minute of one training session so he becomes even in low levels of happiness or motivation he’s managing to be a very good professional.

“So hopefully better days will come for him and they will come for sure, with us or without us, but better days will come for sure.”

It is a shame things haven’t worked out for Gedson in north London, but he clearly doesn’t have the required quality to make it at the top of the Premier League.

What’s more, Spurs have plenty of depth in central midfield. Harry Winks can’t get a game at the moment, and Oliver Skipp is set to return from his loan at Norwich City next summer.

All of which means Gedson would be best served returning to Benfica.