Friday 29 January 2016 23:20, UK
Jan Vertonghen is expected to be out for two months, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed.
The centre-half damaged a medial ligament in his knee as he landed awkwardly after being elbowed in the face by Crystal Palace's Connor Wickham last weekend.
Spurs' official statement on Vertonghen's injury put no timescale on his rehabilitation, but Pochettino said: "Maybe the injury will be two months for Jan.
"You never know about injuries and how the knee reacts and the process. Sometimes it is early or late, all bodies are different. But in my mind it is two months."
Pochettino is in no rush to buy a replacement and is backing summer signing Kevin Wimmer to fill in alongside Toby Alderweireld as Spurs chase trophies on three fronts.
"This is a good example of when we rotate and give the possibilities to other players," the manager said. "You never know when something wrong can happen and we are sure Kevin can do well.
"He has had the possibility to play in different games, not as much as maybe he expects. But he has been good. He has shown the quality and his team-mates trust him.
"It is important because you never know when a problem will arrive and maybe the player who does not play too much will be a key player to achieve big things."
