EARLY RETURN
Tottenham confirm Kane has sustained ligament damage, target April comeback
LONDON
TOTTENHAM are hopeful Harry Kane can play some part in their season-finale despite confirming the striker has sustained significant ankle ligament damage.
Kane rolled his right ankle during the opening stages of last Sunday’s 6-0 win over Millwall in the FA Cup. The injury was virtually identical to the injury he suffered to the same ankle earlier in the season, causing him to miss seven weeks of the season.
Tottenham confirmed on Tuesday their star striker has suffered a similar injury to the one earlier in the season.
But club medics believe the latest problem isn’t as serious as the one suffered against Sunderland in September.
Kane tweeted: “Always come back stronger from injuries and will be working hard with the medical staff to do that again. Thanks for all the messages.”
Nevertheless, Kane will miss the rest of March and likely the majority of April.
But intriguingly, he could be fit in time for the north London derby against Arsenal on April 30, though Spurs are hopeful he could even return earlier.
How Kane’s ankle handles treatment and the rehabilitation programme will be the determining factor over whether Kane can play a role before the end of the season.
Kane underwent a series of scans to determine the extent of the injury on Tuesday before seeing a specialist who laid out the next course of action.
The news will encourage manager Mauricio Pochettino, who feared his top scorer would miss his side’s tilt and FA Cup glory and Champions League qualification.
Spurs wrote on their Twitter page: “We can confirm Harry Kane suffered ligament damage to his right ankle during Sunday’s FA Cup win over Millwall on Sunday.
“The injury is similar to the one suffered by the forward against Sunderland in September last year, however it is not considered to be as severe.”
As well as missing vital matches for his club, Kane will now miss the forthcoming England matches against Germany and Lithuania.
The news will come as huge blow to England boss Gareth Southgate, who held a planning meeting at St George’s Park on Tuesday as he looks to cope with a injury crisis that threatens to derail his plans.
As well as Kane, Jordan Henderson, Danny Rose and Daniel Sturridge will miss out on Southgate’s squad, which is to be named today, through injury.
There are also injury concerns over skipper Wayne Rooney and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Daily Mail