Tottenham have suffered yet another injury blow off the back of skipper Hugo Lloris’ extended absence, with midfielder Yves Bissouma potentially ruled out for the rest of the season.
The 26-year-old has suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle and will have surgery on Friday, although the timeframe for his absence will be better understood after the operation.
However, there is a strong belief that an initial diagnosis of between six to eight weeks could even be extended until the end of the campaign.
Football Insider reports that the former Brighton man faces up to two months of rehabilitation and gentle exercise. However, it could then be another month before he is able to cope with the challenges of actually playing again.
A tweet from Spurs read: “We can confirm that Yves Bissouma is to undergo surgery on Friday to repair a stress fracture to his left ankle.
“A timeframe for his return will be determined after surgery. He will begin rehabilitation with our medical staff as soon as possible. Get well soon, Yves.”
Bissouma not shown is best in Tottenham colours
Bissouma is in his first season in north London after arriving from the Seagulls in a £25million deal last summer.
However, he has rarely looked like the player that excelled on the south coast. Indeed, during that time he became one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
In his 20 top-flight appearances this season, Bissouma has only played the full 90 minutes three times. Indeed, Conte has often preferred to bring him on late in the second half of games.
The midfielder does have a good injury record though, missing just 12 games over the last five years.
He had hip and shoulder injuries that limited him during the 2018/19 season. Meanwhile, a knee problem caused him to miss four matches in the 2021/22 campaign.
Oliver Skipp is now expected to act as the main back up to first-choice midfield pairing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur.
Tottenham are next in action on Saturday afternoon when they head to Leicester in the Premier League.