Tanguy Ndombele has told Jose Mourinho he no longer wishes to play for the Tottenham boss.
Ndombele has endured a difficult relationship with his manager since Mourinho was appointed as Mauricio Pochettino's successor in November.
The Portuguese labelled Ndombele's performance against Burnley in March "disappointing" - and the midfielder has not played since.
Mourinho played down suggestions that he had fallen out with the 23-year-old after Tuesday's 2-0 victory over the Hammers.
You know, it’s not just him. I try to do the best for my team. I cannot start the game with 12 or 13 players, I try to do the best for the team," he said.
“Sometimes I apologise to my players that are not my first choice because I feel their work in training deserves something more than I give but I have to do my job the best I can and I felt for these two matches I didn’t need him.”
That poses a significant headache for chairman Daniel Levy, who sanctioned a £55m transfer fee to sign Ndombele last summer.
