Injury like that is three weeks’ rest

HARRY KANE has a history of ankle injuries and when that is the case, it often results in a laxity in the ankle ligament caused by previous injuries.

Though he has never needed surgery as a result of an ankle injury, it’s possible that the laxity means the chance of turning the ankle is increased. Ligaments prevent excess movement and if there is too much laxity from previous injuries you get too much movement.

You never know the extent of the damage until the injury is scanned. That is an MRI scan and they might X-ray as well. They tend to do weight-bearing X-rays too, making the player stand on the injured leg.

All the while the Tottenham medics will be working on reducing the swelling and soft tissue inflammation with ice, massage and compression. It’s difficult to know inside 48 hours whether there is structural damage.

From TV, it looked as though he turned his lateral ligaments (see below), which are on the outsi de l eg. Damaging t he internal ligaments, which protect the ankle joint, is more serious and could require surgery, but that he walked off the pitch suggests that is not the case.

He would still need two- to-three weeks’ rest. But Harry has shown he does respond well to treatment and recovers quicker than anticipated.

One thing they won’t be using is injections. There was a time when steroids were used to reduce swelling and anaesthetic used to play through the pain.

But the long- term risks of masking an injury artificially are now well recognised and serious damage can be done.

GARY LEWIN is the former England and Arsenal physio and now runs lewinclinic.co.uk