Tottenham’s goalkeeping conundrum has shifted from weighing up Hugo Lloris’ long-term future to a short-term panic over his absence after he was ruled out for between six and eight weeks.
Lloris suffered knee ligament damage in the 1-0 win over Manchester City and in a worst case scenario, he could miss up to 10 games in all competitions. That will include key Premier League fixtures against Leicester, West Ham and Chelsea, as well as both legs of the Champions League last-16 tie against AC Milan.
While it is not clear exactly when Lloris was injured on Sunday, he appeared to fall awkwardly late on after colliding with Rodri while collecting a cross. Deep into injury time, he then misdirected a goal kick to hand possession to Erling Haaland, though Spurs held on.
A player so often taken for granted thanks to his longevity as much as his subtle captaincy, it says much about Lloris’ understated leadership that Harry Kane is sometimes mistakenly assumed to be the skipper. He is not thought to require surgery, but even in a best case scenario where he is out for six weeks, Spurs will be given a pre-emptive taste of life without the ‘keeper on whom they have relied for more than a decade.
In his absence, Antonio Conte will turn to summer signing Fraser Forster. Conte himself missed the City match after surgery to remove his gallbladder and only returned to England from Italy on Wednesday. He is expected to be back in the dugout for the trip to Leicester.
More from Football
What we know about reported £4.5bn Qatari bid for Man Utd so far08 February, 2023
Pep Guardiola defiant and 'business as usual' - Inside the mood at Man City after week of chaos08 February, 2023
Premier League clubs 'could take legal action' against Man City after feeling cheated of titles08 February, 2023Forster’s last appearance came in the FA Cup third-round victory over Portsmouth on 7 January. The former Southampton stopper has made four starts for Spurs so far, making his only Premier League appearance for the club in the 2-2 draw with Brentford on Boxing Day.
Spurs also have Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman in their squad, though neither have ever made a senior appearance. That does mean, however, that the club would not be able to appeal for an emergency loan, as that would only be sanctioned if there were no other available goalkeepers.
Following a number of high-profile errors this season, and due to his age, Spurs were already expected to search for a long-term successor to the 36-year-old this summer. Everton stopper Jordan Pickford is thought to be one option being considered, especially if the Toffees fail to beat the drop, in which case they would have virtually no hope of keeping hold of the England No 1. It was reported on Wednesday evening that Ben Foster, a free agent after leaving Watford, is a more immediate stop-gap being considered.
10 games Lloris could miss
- Leicester (A) – Premier League
- Milan (A) – Champions League
- West Ham (H) – Premier League
- Chelsea (H) – Premier League
- Sheffield United (A) – FA Cup
- Wolves (A) – Premier League
- Milan (H) – Champions League
- Nottingham Forest (H) – Premier League
- Southampton (A) – Premier League
- Everton (A) – Premier League
Even in light of Lloris’ recent blips, which included palming Bukayo Saka’s cross in at his near post in the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, Conte has stood by his man amid clamour from some fans to see Forster installed in his place.
After the north London derby, Conte declared he was still “one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
“It can happen that sometimes you can make a mistake,” he said. “For sure when there is the mistake of the keeper it is more visible. Hugo for us is a one of the players who is really important for the dressing room, for his personality.”
Lloris has kept seven clean sheets this season in spite of ongoing scrutiny on the defence in front of him. If he does miss the full eight weeks, he should still be back for the Champions League quarter-finals, should Spurs get there, and for the Premier League game against Brighton on 8 April.
In the meantime, with Spurs fifth and one point off fourth-placed Newcastle (who have a game in hand), it represents a hugely damaging blow to their hopes of playing in the competition again next season.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/x8Z3Ajg
Post a Comment