Antonio Conte is hopeful Matt Doherty’s injury is not a serious one.
The Republic of Ireland international was forced off after only 21 minutes of Tottenham’s big away win at Aston Villa and was seen leaving the ground with a brace on his knee.
Saturday’s win at Villa Park took Spurs three points clear of bitter rivals Arsenal to solidify their position in the Premier League’s top four, although Mikel Arteta’s side have a game in hand.
Doherty, despite a largely unhappy time of things since joining Spurs from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020, has established himself as a key player under Conte.
Able to operate on both the and the left hand side of defence, the wing-back has scored twice and registered three assists in his last seven Premier League games, finding a new lease of life as Spurs chase Champions League qualification.
With Conte’s system relying so heavily on that particular position, the idea of missing Doherty - who the Italian has praised in recent weeks - is a worry.
Speaking after the game, Conte said: “Matt tried to continue to stay on the pitch.
“This showed his resilience, his desire to continue to play. I hope it’s nothing serious, because we need him. Now, we have to wait one day, two days, and the doctors have to check him. I don’t think it’s anything serious, I hope.”
