Dele Alli injury: Huge blow for Spurs as midfielder is ruled out for six weeks

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a huge blow with Dele Alli ruled out for around six weeks with a hamstring injury.

On Tuesday Spurs confirmed fears that the England midfielder had strained his hamstring in their victory away to Fulham on Sunday. Alli was forced off in the 86th minute, having scored Tottenham’s opening goal.

Alli, 22, will work with the club’s medical staff in the early stages and is not expected to return to training until the beginning of March, at the earliest.

The news is even more of a concern due to the absence of other key attacking players as they continue to fight on four fronts. Striker Harry Kane is ruled out until early March as well after damaging ankle ligaments against Manchester United. Spurs are also currently missing Heung-min Son, who is representing South Korea in the Asian Cup. They beat Bahrain to reach the quarter-finals on Tuesday and he could be away until early February, if they reach the final.

Missing the League Cup final

Spurs play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final on Thursday, holding a 1-0 advantage, and they remain in touching distance of the title race, third in the table and nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Read more: Chelsea vs Tottenham: Carabao Cup semi-final kick-off time, TV channel, live stream, team news and expected line-ups

They will also face Borussia Dortmund over two legs in the last 16 of the Champions League next month and travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday for a Fourth Round FA Cup tie.

Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham manager, had hoped to rely on Alli to cover for Kane and Son during their absence, so his fresh injury could not come at a worse time. He will miss around 10 matches, including the League Cup final should Spurs reach it.

Repeated problems

Alli has struggled with hamstring problems all season. He had just returned from two weeks out with a hamstring issue when i revealed, back in September, that he had returned from England duty and exacerbated the injury, ruling him out for another month.

Read more: The 11 Tottenham fixtures Harry Kane will miss through injury

Spurs said in a statement: “Following scans and clinical assessment, we can confirm that Dele Alli has suffered a hamstring strain, sustained during Sunday’s match. Dele will now undergo a period of rehabilitation with our medical staff, with the expectation of returning to training in early March.”