Spurs fans watching Tottenham’s loss against Southampton on New Year’s Day will have felt their heart drop when Harry Kane pulled up clutching his hamstring after his goal was disallowed for offside. Following this, the striker was taken off with fifteen minutes left of the match.
Tottenham today confirmed the tear in Kane’s left hamstring, an injury that indicates that Spurs’ marksman could be out for a significant period of time.
Kane usually sustains at least one serious injury per season and Tottenham have done well without their star man in the past, particularly at the later stages of last season. However, Tottenham are having a rather torrid time with some poor results of late and Kane’s absence could prevent Spurs from counteracting their shaky defence with goals of their own.
Spurs’ top scorer this season has further exemplified the value of clinical strikers to top teams and as Spurs struggle to claw their way into the Champions League places, the thought of Kane not leading the front line is a worrying prospect to Spurs fans. If their results are to get any worse, we could see them slip dangerously close to the bottom half of the table.
Still, some are optimistic about Spurs’ chances of sustaining the fight for the top four. The Lilywhites just about managed in the league last season and even reached the Champions League final without the aid of their talisman.
Jan Vertonghen, in particular, thinks that Spurs “have the squad to cope without him (Kane)”. The Belgian defender may be referring to the use of Heung-min Son or Lucas Moura in the striker position, or perhaps even the introduction of 17-year-old Troy Parrott to the starting lineup.
In any case, time will tell what the injury to Kane means for Spurs’ top-four hopes and certain players will need to step up to steer the team in the right direction.
