Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall faces up to three months out with an ankle injury.
Bergvall was forced off during the second half of Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night following a tackle. . He tried to carry on, but was soon replaced by 17-year-old debutant Jun'ai Byfield.
Asked for an update after the game, manager Thomas Frank confirmed Bergvall had suffered a “contact [injury]”.
Standard Sport understands that Bergvall now faces an extended period on the sidelines in what is another huge injury blow for Spurs.
Bergvall could miss as many as 15 games for Spurs, were they to progress through a Champions League knockout play-off next month.
Spurs are currently on course to qualify automatically for the last-16 stage, scheduled in March, which Bergvall would miss along with a potential quarter-final in April.
The Sweden international is now expected to miss both legs of his country’s World Cup play-off semi-final with Ukraine, and a possible final against Poland or Albania, at the end of March.
Bergvall joins fellow midfielders James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur on the sidelines, whilee Joao Palhinha’s fitness remains uncertain after missing Spurs’ last two fixtures with a knock picked up during training.
Defender Ben Davies is set to miss most of the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury, and striker Richarlison is set to miss around six weeks with a hamstring complaint.
Bergvall has endured an injury-hit season.
The box-to-box midfielder missed Spurs’ 0-0 draw with Brentford on New Year’s Day after being forced off with a groin injury against Crystal Palace in the previous game.
Bergval returned to the matchday squad three days later, coming off the bench during the side’s 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland.
Back in the starting line-up for Spurs’ trip to Bournemouth in the following game, Bergvall went down off the ball in the second half and was seen to be in considerable pain as he received treatment on a muscular injury before being replaced.
The 19-year-old missed Spurs’ FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa, before playing out the final minutes of Spurs’ stoppage-time defeat to West Ham.
Having not been deemed fit enough to start or play any considerable minutes against the Hammers, Bergvall was also thrust into the starting line-up, owing to Spurs’ lack of midfield options, and lasted just over an hour before coming off.
