Tottenham were rocked when it was revealed that star striker Harry Kane has damaged his ligaments in his ankle. The signs were worrying when the striker had to be carried out on a stretcher after scoring the winning goal against Sunderland. It was later revealed that the front-man would be out for at least eight weeks, which is a huge blow for the London club. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has remarked that he is not willing to put a time frame on the period of absence of the striker but knows that he will be out for a lengthy period.
Tottenham do have a striker in the form of Vincent Janssen in their squad, who is one of their summer signings. Janssen has shown his abilities in the Eredivisie, with a very capable scoring record but replacing Kane will be a tough task. The Dutchman, who is still not fully aware of the League and his oppositions, now faces his biggest challenge. There’s also a huge chance now for Janssen with Kane injured to make a name for himself, even if there’s no doubt that the Englishman will get right back into the first XI when he gets fit, at least now Janssen will get a good run of games to prove himself.
Tottenham will have to tackle some very important matches during this 2 month period, however. They will face Middlesbrough, Manchester City, West Brom, Bournemouth, Leicester City, Arsenal and West Ham in the league while having to contain the likes of CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen twice in the Champions League. At the moment, with the injury to Kane, Spurs have three key players out of their squad (Dier and Dembele are also doubtful).
The three players were the team’s main performers last season when Tottenham challenged for the title. While with the inclusion of Wanyama, the midfield problems were minimalized by the team and they were able to cope well despite the absence of Dier and Dembele so far, it would be interesting to see how the team does in the absence of Kane.
Marked as the talisman of the club, their symbol of the recent improvement and an exciting future, Tottenham and Pochettino have one of the toughest jobs in hand now. It remains to be seen if Janssen can step up, take the pressure and deliver or not, but the Dutchman certainly has the ability and confidence to do so. If Spurs can do well in these crucial two month period then they will be an even bigger challenge for this year’s title in the Premier League.
