Tottenham have revealed Harry Kane will be sidelined for two months after scan results confirmed ankle ligament damage.
Kane suffered the injury in the dying embers of Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United but Mauricio Pochettino’s side had hoped he would only be out for four weeks.
That would have ruled the England captain out of up to seven matches in all competitions but scan results have revealed Tottenham’s worst fears.
Kane is now projected to return in the early stages of March and looks set to miss the Carabao Cup final should Tottenham get there, though he will push to make an early comeback.
Tottenham lead Chelsea 1-0 on aggregate heading into their semi-final second leg later this month and Kane’s absence is a huge blow to Pochettino’s side.
Kane, who has now suffered ankle ligament damage in each of the last four calendar years, will also miss a handful of Premier League matches, their FA Cup fourth round tie against Crystal Palace and the first leg of their Champions League last 16 clash with Borussia Dortmund.
Tottenham host Arsenal in the North London derby at the start of March before travelling to Dortmund three days later and Kane is also a huge doubt for both matches.
Kane is currently the join top goalscorer in the Premier League with 14 goals, but will likely now lose ground on the likes of Mohamed Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.