In the white half of North London, the mood set by Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory against Sunderland at White Hart Lane was dampened by the sight of star striker Harry Kane being stretchered off the pitch. The 23-year-old twisted his ankle following a challenge on Senegalese defender Papy Djilobodji and the reaction to follow from manager Mauricio Pochettino was far from positive.
The Argentinian went on to say that Kane had damaged his ankle ligaments although he did not put a timeframe on his return. Initial reports suggested the Englishman would face up to two months on the sidelines, given the nature of his injury but with no validation by Pochettino and the club, it remains to be seen whether Kane will be fit in time for England’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia. With national duty kept on the back-burner for now, Tottenham could be the unfortunate party in the coming weeks as they play some big matches in the Premier League and the Champions League.
Their trip to Middlesbrough this weekend will be followed by a visit to Russia to face CSKA Moscow in Europe. If that isn’t tricky enough, they welcome Manchester City to the Lane on Sunday, October 2 before adjourning for the international break. Post that, consecutive away days at West Bromwich Albion, Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth will precede their home clash against champions Leicester City. With derbies against Arsenal and West Ham United in close proximity thereafter, the reported timeframe of two months may be calamitous for Tottenham as they will require their best players to step up to the challenge of handling both domestic and continental commitments.
Having been named in 71 successive Premier League lineups for his side prior to the Sunderland game, Kane was in need of a formidable strike partner going into the new season. The arrival of Vincent Janssen from AZ Alkmaar uplifted that notion in North London and it appears that move may well be put to test in the weeks to come. Janssen is versatile enough to play anywhere in an attacking gauntlet but Kane’s absence will surely force Pochettino to deploy him upfront. In the past, Heung-Ming Son was asked to play as a False 9 in the Europa League but that never bore rich dividends as it became increasingly clear Tottenham needed someone to partner Kane. With that issue resolved, Pochettino may feel more comfortable. However, Janssen is yet to start for his side and having been brought on as an impact substitute in all of his appearances for the English club thus far, it is a like-for-like switch that may not bear instant fruit for them.
It goes without saying that Harry Kane will be a major miss for Tottenham in whatever period he is ultimately ruled out for. It is just one of those decisions that is enforced upon the club and will require Janssen to step up. He has got big shoes to fill.
