Injury blow: Vertonghen limped off at Palace and could be sidelined for weeks

Devastating Tottenham blow as key man set to be sidelined until November - reports

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Published on:

30 Jun 2016, 10:20 am

By London correspondent Tony Hughes

Jan Vertonghen could be sidelined for four months with an injured ankle, according to a report.

Belgian broadcaster RTBF claim the Tottenham defender suffered a blow to his ankle in training as Belgium made final preparations for Friday night's Euro 2016 quarter-final against Wales.

It is said that medics initially thought Vertonghen had suffered just a sprained ankle but further assessment suggested he has damaged his ligaments.

The versatile defender has flown with the Belgium squad to Lille ahead of the Wales showdown but he is reported to be on crutches and will undergo further scans.

This was corroborated by HLN correspondent Kristof Terreur on his personal Twitter account.

Jan Vertonghen has a 'serious' ankle injury. Flew with squad to Lille, but will undergo more exams. Possible ligament damage. #thfc #bel
— Kristof Terreur (@kristofterreur) June 30, 2016

Vertonghen would be sidelined until November if the four-month prognosis is correct, which would be a devastating blow for Tottenham.

The 28-year-old missed three months of the 2015-16 season after damaging his knee ligaments in January and, although Spurs coped well in his absence, Mauricio Pochettino demonstrated his faith in the centre-back by immediately reinstating him in the team when he was fit.

Such a serious Tottenham injury could have an effect on Spurs' summer transfer plans.

Vertonghen is one of only three senior centre-backs at the club, along with countryman Toby Alderweireld and Kevin Wimmer, and the north Londoners were already in the market for a new defender.

Tottenham Hotspur

Belgium

Jan Vertonghen