Tottenham defender Eric Dier has undergone groin surgery, ruling him out of their final game of the season at Leeds on Sunday.
The centre-half is expected to be fit for the start of pre-season, with Spurs saying he will begin rehabilitation with medical staff before the squad is due to report back in July.
The surgery is to address a long-standing problem which Dier has been nursing since the World Cup, with the 29-year-old said to have played through the pain to help the club's push for European football.
However, he was not able to complete the campaign and felt he had no choice but to have surgery, even though Spurs are still playing for a spot in the Europa Conference League at Elland Road.
Dier impressed in the first half of the campaign, earning a place in Gareth Southgate's England World Cup squad, but has struggled for form since returning with the groin issue.
He had been left on the bench by interim head coach Ryan Mason for the previous two matches, with Clement Lenglet and Cristian Romero preferred at centre-half.
Dier is entering the final year of his contract and his future is uncertain, with the club not currently in talks with the England international.
