Talented teenage striker Will Lankshear looks set to miss the rest of Tottenham's season through injury, football.london understands.
The 17-year-old joined Spurs in the summer from Sheffield United in a reported £2m deal and he has made an impact already at the north London club with four goals in five U18 matches, scoring in the UEFA Youth League and getting experience at U21 level in Premier League 2.
On top of that, Antonio Conte also handed him minutes with the senior team in Tottenham's World Cup break friendlies and Lankshear has had plenty of training sessions with the first team.
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Lankshear has been in action recently for the U21s and U18s and was an unused substitute in the latter's Premier League Cup win at Manchester City on Saturday.
However, the young striker could be seen at the Hotspur Way training complex on crutches on Thursday and football.london understands he will miss the remainder of the season after requiring an operation on his knee.
Spurs do at least have a new young striker up front after they signed Jude Soonsup-Bell in January, seeing off competition in Manchester City and other clubs across Europe.
Spurs swooped for Soonsup-Bell after contract talks between the Blues and the striker, who turned 19 last month, stalled. The forward was highly regarded at Chelsea but is understood to have wanted a clearer path to first team football and with his contract running into its final six months the Blues had to let him go.
The teenager moved across London on a free transfer but with Chelsea holding a sell-on clause. The move will initially bolster Spurs' academy, particularly now with Lankshear's injury, but with the prospect of a summer loan for Soonsup-Bell, who made his Chelsea debut under Thomas Tuchel in the Carabao Cup last season.
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