Tottenham confirm Kane has suffered ankle ligament damage
Sunday 20 January 2019 12:34, UK
Harry Kane has been ruled out until March with the ankle injury he picked up in Sunday's 1-0 loss to Manchester United, so how will Tottenham cope without him?
The striker hobbled off at Wembley following a heavy tackle by Phil Jones in the closing stages, and Spurs confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that he had damaged ligaments.
With Heung-Min Son departing to the Asian Cup, Mauricio Pochettino is facing a striker shortage ahead of their meeting with Fulham on Super Sunday.
Here, we examine Tottenham's record without Kane and look at Pochettino's striking options for the weeks ahead, with a Champions League last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund, as well as several important Premier League fixtures, on the schedule.
There is no disputing Kane's importance to Tottenham. The 25-year-old has scored 155 goals in 217 appearances for the club since Pochettino's appointment, including 20 in 30 games this season. He is arguably the Premier League's deadliest striker and a talismanic figure for his club.
His injury is an undoubted blow, but what exactly do the stats say about Tottenham's record with and without him?
Interestingly, the difference is not as great as you might expect. Kane has started 151 of Tottenham's 174 Premier League games under Pochettino, with a total of 90 wins giving them a 60 per cent win rate. They have averaged two goals per game in those fixtures.
Tottenham's win rate only drops by three per cent in the 23 games Kane has missed, although there is a more notable drop in goals scored. According to Opta, their average drops from two goals per game to 1.6 when Kane does not start.
Losing Kane is one thing but losing him at the same time as Son is another. Son has been outstanding for Spurs this season, contributing eight goals and five assists in 17 Premier League appearances, easing the burden on his attacking team-mate and underlining his importance to the side.
Now, however, he has departed for the Asian Cup. Son was permitted to miss South Korea's first two group games against the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan, but he flew out to the United Arab Emirates straight after the Manchester United defeat.
How long he stays there will depend on South Korea's progress, but they have already booked their place in the knockout stages and they are one of the favourites to go all the way in the 24-team competition.
If South Korea do make it as far as the final, Son will be guaranteed to miss the upcoming Premier League meetings with Fulham, Watford and Newcastle as well as the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final with Chelsea.
So, with neither of his first-choice frontmen available, what are Pochettino's options?
Perhaps the most likely is to use Lucas Moura in a central striking role. The Brazilian has primarily played on the flanks since his arrival from PSG last January, but he enjoyed some success through the middle earlier this season. Most notably, he scored twice in that position in the 3-0 win over Manchester United in August. In total, there have been six Premier League goals from him in 19 appearances so far this season.
The difference, of course, is that Moura would be playing as a lone striker this time, rather than as a partner for Kane. Pochettino must decide whether he is capable of playing the role on his own, and there are also question marks over his short-term fitness after he missed Tottenham's last two games with a minor knee injury.
Beyond Moura, and with Pochettino making clear that forgotten man Vincent Janssen is not in his plans, Fernando Llorente is probably the next most likely candidate to step up. The 33-year-old has been a peripheral figure this season, playing just 36 minutes in the Premier League, but his physicality and aerial prowess caused United problems following his second-half introduction on Sunday and his hat-trick in the recent FA Cup win over Tranmere showed he is not lacking sharpness.
Could Spurs be tempted to turn to the transfer market? Mousa Dembele's impending departure to China will free up a space in their squad, but funds are known to be tight as they prepare to move into the new stadium, with Pochettino insisting he had no money to spend before the window opened in December.
