Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a blow with the news that forward Clinton N’Jie could miss up to three months after undergoing a knee operation.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed the setback at his Wednesday press conference ahead of Norwich City’s Boxing Day visit to White Hart Lane.
BBC Sport quotes him as saying: “You never know because every day it’s about how the knee responds but maybe two months or a little bit more [he will be out].”
The Cameroonian forward has not been able to get going at Spurs because of a succession of injuries. Most of his 13 appearances have come as a substitute and he is yet to find the net.
N’Jie picked up his latest problem in the Europa League win over Monaco a fortnight ago – only his second start since joining Tottenham from Lyon for £12m – fee reported by The Telegraph.
But he was bound to get more chances over the second half of the season as Pochettino aimed to balance Harry Kane’s schedule over Tottenham’s Premier League and European campaigns.
The 22-year-old’s layoff is likely to prompt Spurs into the transfer market in January. They left their summer search for Kane’s support too late but cannot afford to hang around this time.
West Bromwich Albion’s Saido Berahino was the subject of four failed Spurs bids in the last transfer window and will be targeted again along with Marseille’s Michy Batshuayi, according to the Daily Mail.
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