Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Harry Kane will be out until April with a hamstring injury.
The England captain limped out of the defeat to Southampton on New Year’s Day with manager Jose Mourinho fearing his star striker would face a lengthy period out.
And so it has proved with the 26-year-old now set for an operation.
A club statement read: “Following ongoing assessment by our medical staff over the past week, we can confirm that Harry Kane will undergo surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his left hamstring.
“The striker suffered the injury during our Premier League fixture against Southampton last week and specialists have advised surgery after further review of the injury.
“The decision to undergo surgery is not expected to impact the timeframe that the England captain will be sidelined, with the expectation that he will return to training in April.”
Kane’s absence was noticeable as Spurs struggled to break down a well-organised Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Sunday, with Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura attempting to plug the gap.
Kane will miss both legs of Tottenham's last-16 match against Leipzig in the Champions League and likely the quarter-finals, too, should Mourinho's team advance.
It is also a blow to their chances of finishing in the top four in the Premier League. They currently sit sixth six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
