Tottenham Hotspur on Friday effectively ruled out Harry Kane from their trip to Manchester United as they confirmed the in-form forward had suffered a strain to his hamstring.
TEAM NEWS: @HKane underwent assessment and investigation earlier this week, which confirmed a minor strain to the left hamstring. pic.twitter.com/4s0E0Jzrr6
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 27, 2017
Kane, who scored a brace in Spurs’ 4-1 demolition of Liverpool, had to come off in the closing stages with what seemed like a hamstring injury.
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Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, in his post-match interview, had calmed fears by insisting the striker was simply suffering from tiredness after playing three games back-to-back but it seems his initial assessment was inaccurate.
A hamstring strain requires a minimum of 10 days to recover from, which means not only is Kane set to miss out on Saturday’s clash with United, he is also a major doubt for their UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday.
The reigning Premier League Golden Boot holder, Kane has been in fine form this season as well as he has scored an impressive 13 goals in just 12 appearances so far.
Kane’s injury could not have come at a worse time for the Lilywhites, for they are still reeling from a dramatic exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of West Ham United in mid-week. The Lilywhites were leading 2-0 at half-time, yet somehow managed to blow the lead and lose the game by a 3-2 scoreline.
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The 24-year-old had been rested for the cup tie in a bid to get him fit for the United clash, but it seems the forward’s lay-off will be longer than expected.
In his absence, summer signing Fernando Llorente is set to lead the line but Pochettino may utilise Son Heung-min as a false nine at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Spurs, third in the Premier League table but level on points with the second-placed Red Devils, can temporarily go within two points of leaders Manchester City should they win but without their star forward, their task is extremely difficult.