Friday 17 March 2017 13:54, UK
Mauricio Pochettino insists Tottenham can cope without Harry Kane and has challenged Heung-Min Son and Vincent Janssen to minimise the impact of his loss.
Kane damaged ankle ligaments in the FA Cup win over Millwall last weekend and Sky sources understand he will be out for between four and six weeks.
Son scored his first Spurs hat-trick after Kane was substituted and has 14 goals for the club this season, but Janssen, who also scored against the Lions, has struggled in his first season at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham won only two of their Premier League games when Kane spent eight weeks out with a similar ankle knock this season but Pochettino insists his side will be fine if they play as a team.
Ahead of a reunion with his former side Southampton at the Lane, live on Sky Sports' Nissan Super Sunday, Pochettino said: "What we can do now is find a solution. We have many players that can cope with the pressure.
"We can cope. It is a similar situation to earlier in the season. We lost Harry Kane for seven or eight weeks and one of the best performances was without him against Manchester City, when we won 2-0.
"We showed in 80 minutes against Millwall [without Kane] that we scored six goals. Sonny scored a hat-trick, Vincent Janssen scored, and Dele Alli. We are very confident in our players. We must not make excuses but try to score goals and win games.
"We have some players that deserves to play but sometimes cannot because other players do well. Now is a great chance for Sonny and Vincent to be more regular in the starting 11."
Janssen's goal against Millwall was his first in open play, having notched four penalties since a summer move from AZ Alkmaar, but Pochettino believes it is difficult for many players who come from abroad to adapt quickly.
"If you see different players who arrive this season in the Premier League, when you have a striker like Kane who scores goals and plays well, it is difficult for your second striker to take his place," he said.
"Vincent is very young and from Holland - a different league. He is in the process to learn and improve. It's only his first season in England.
"It's a big opportunity for Sonny too. In the system we used in the last few months it has not allowed us to play with two or three strikers. But with Harry Kane not available we will have the chance to play more."
