Tottenham captain Cristian Romero is set to miss the rest of the season with the knee injury he sustained in their 1-0 defeat at Sunderland.
Argentina defender Romero, 27, looked visibly upset as he limped off following a collision with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky in the Premier League fixture at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
It raised concerns he may have incurred an injury serious enough to rule him out of Tottenham’s final six games as they battle to avoid relegation.
Following tests, Romero is now expected to miss up to eight weeks with a high-grade partial tear of his medial cruciate ligament.
His chances of being part of Argentina’s squad for this summer’s World Cup are also left hanging in the balance.
Romero’s absence is a major setback for newly-appointed head coach Roberto de Zerbi as he bids to keep Tottenham in the top flight.
De Zerbi said after the match that Romero was a “good player with a big personality” and a “crucial player” for Spurs.
Tottenham are currently 18th in the Premier League – two points behind West Ham, who are just above the drop zone.