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| Harry Kane suffered the injury during a challenge with Manchester City full-back Fabian Delph |
Tottenham Hotspur’s England striker Harry Kane suffered serious ankle ligament damage in Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League victory over Manchester City, the Premier League club said on Thursday.
Kane rolled his left ankle in the second half of the quarter-final first leg after a hefty tackle on City defender Fabian Delph and left the field immediately.
Spurs gave no time frame for when Kane might be fit again.
“Following assessment over the past two days, we can confirm that Harry Kane has sustained a significant lateral ligament injury to his left ankle following a challenge in our Champions League quarter-final, first leg win against Manchester City,” Spurs said on their website.
“Investigations are ongoing and he will continue to be assessed by our medical staff over the coming week.”
The England captain, who has scored 24 goals in all competitions this season, left the club’s new stadium on crutches with a protective boot on his foot.
On Wednesday, 25-year-old Kane had tweeted: “Gutted to go off injured but every setback is a chance to come back stronger than ever. Big finish from the boys to go on and win!”
After Tuesday’s match, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said: “It’s a worry for us.
“We are going to miss him – maybe for the rest of the season. We hope it is not a big issue but there is not to much time to recover.”
Kane has missed 21 club games since the start of the 2016-17 season with ankle injuries alone.
He was ruled out for almost two months in January, missing seven games, when he damaged ligaments in the same ankle during their 1-0 Premier League home defeat by Manchester United.
He also missed a month of last season with a similar injury to the right ankle, and endured separate absences of six and four weeks during the 2016-17 campaign.
Tottenham are fourth in the Premier League with six matches remaining, two points behind third-placed Chelsea – who have played a game more – and one point ahead of north London rivals Arsenal, who are fifth in fifth.
The second leg of their Champions League tie against City is on Wednesday, 17 April at Etihad Stadium.
Spurs also said England midfielder Dele Alli had fractured his left hand in Tuesday’s game.
Fourth-placed Tottenham are battling for a top-four finish to claim a Champions League spot for next season. They trail third-placed Chelsea by two points, with a game in hand, and lead fellow London rivals Arsenal by one point.
Spurs will face Huddersfield on Sunday, as the Terriers face up to relegation from the Premier League.
They may have little to play for but manager Jan Siewert has demanded his players represent the club with pride, and Lowe admits he and his team-mates are playing for their futures – whether that be convincing Siewert of their value or putting themselves in the shop window.
“Everyone has got different reasons,” he said. “One player wants to represent himself to another club, another wants to show the manager he is ready for next season.
“Everyone is different but hopefully we can show at the weekend that as a team we are still willing to fight.”
REUTERS
