Tottenham Hotspur and England forward Harry Kane will be sidelined until at least April as he recovers from a hamstring injury, the London club have said, in what will be a major headache for boss Jose Mourinho.
Kane hobbled off during Spurs’ 1-0 defeat at Southampton on New Year’s Day.
The Londoners have now confirmed the extent of the injury, saying the England man – who has netted 17 times in 25 club appearances this season – will be forced to undergo surgery for a ruptured tendon.
“Following ongoing assessment by our medical staff over the past week, we can confirm that Harry Kane will undergo surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his left hamstring,” a Spurs statement read.
“The striker suffered the injury during our Premier League fixture against Southampton last week and specialists have advised surgery after further review of the injury.
“The decision to undergo surgery is not expected to impact the timeframe that the England captain will be sidelined, with the expectation that he will return to training in April.”
Also on rt.com ‘I was rude, but I was rude to an idiot’: Spurs boss Mourinho cracks up internet after being yellow-carded in Southampton defeatThat timeframe will be a big blow to Jose Mourinho’s team, as Kane will miss Spurs' Champions League last 16 tie with RB Leipzig, as well as around 10 Premier League games.
The England skipper will also miss the Three Lions’ friendlies in March against Italy and Denmark.
However, Mourinho will at least hope to have his main hitman back for the Premier League run-in, while England manager Gareth Southgate will hope Kane will have recovered match fitness fully by the time Euro 2020 kicks off in mid-June.
With Kane’s absence for several months now confirmed, Spurs have been linked with a move for AC Milan’s Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek, who is valued at around £30 million (US$39 million).