The 11 Tottenham fixtures Harry Kane will miss through injury

Tottenham Hotspur’s worst fears were confirmed last night as striker Harry Kane was ruled out of action until early March with damaged ankle ligaments.

The England captain, 25, fell to the turf in the dying moments of Sunday’s Premier League defeat by Manchester United at Wembley and remained on the field to receive treatment at the final whistle.

The club were forced to wait until yesterday to assess the extent of the damage as Kane’s ankle had been too swollen.

“Following preliminary assessments, we can confirm that Harry Kane has damaged ligaments in his left ankle, sustained during Sunday’s match,” a club statement read.

“The striker will continue to be monitored by our medical staff as he commences rehabilitation and is expected to return to training in early March.”

Injuries are part of the game but no-one will be working harder to get back fit. Thanks for the messages. pic.twitter.com/cUeq4zFrlk

— Harry Kane (@HKane) January 15, 2019

The player himself tweeted: “Injuries are part of the game but no one will be working harder to get back fit. Thanks for the messages.”

Limited alternatives

The injury to Kane, who has scored 20 goals in all competitions this season, comes at a bad time for the club, with fellow forward Son Heung-min having this week departed for the Asian Cup. The 26-year-old could be missing until the early part of next month, should South Korea progress to the latter stages, as the final takes place in Abu Dhabi on 1 February.

Of the other options in Tottenham’s squad, Fernando Llorente has made just two starts this season – one each in the Carabao and FA Cups – although did score four goals in those appearances.

he Spaniard’s last Premier League start for the club was over a year ago and he had been linked with a move to Barcelona, although Spurs are unlikely to allow that to happen now.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino said after Sunday’s game that Dutch forward Vincent Janssen was “not in my plans”, despite the player scoring for the club’s under-23 side against West Ham on the same day.

Unorthodox options

Dele Alli, Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela are possible unorthodox options for Spurs in Kane’s absence, while Irish youngster Troy Parrott has impressed for the under-23s this term and could be handed a step up.

This is the third successive season in which Kane has suffered an ankle injury early in the calendar year, the most recent one keeping him out for three weeks last March.

The injury is a blow to third-placed Tottenham’s titles hopes, but Kane will also miss next Thursday’s second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea, and probably both legs of their Champions League last-16 tie with Borussia Dortmund.

The striker is also highly unlikely to be available for the north London derby against Arsenal on 2 March.