Mauricio Pochettino confirms Harry Kane ligament injury but refuses to give timescale for recovery

Kane would miss crucial Premier League, Champions League and England games

Kane went down clutching his right ankle (Getty)

Mauricio Pochettino has refused to put a timeframe on a Harry Kane return amid fears the Tottenham star could be out for as long as two months with an ankle injury.

Kane has not broken a bone in his foot as first feared, but he has sustained ligament damage during Spurs’ clash with Sunderland at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

The 23-year-old, who scored the only goal of the game, fell awkwardly late into the second half and appeared to twist his ankle uncomfortably before leaving the stadium on crutches and in a protective boot on his right foot.

Medical tests were undertaken on Monday and while Pochettino confirmed the injury, he was reluctant to say how long last season's top scorer would be out for.

"He has injured his ankle ligaments," said Pochettino.

"We will continue to assess him every day but don't want to put a timeframe on it."

Kane’s injury is likely a grade two ligament damage, which usually requires six to eight weeks of rehabilitation, meaning he would miss crucial Premier League games against Manchester City, Leicester City and the north London derby against Arsenal.

Harry Kane could face a lengthy spell on the side-lines (Getty)

On top of those games, last season’s golden boot winner will also have to sit out Tottenham’s next two Champions League ties with CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen – both must win games after their opening gameweek defeat to Monaco at Wembley.

England would also suffer from his absence, with Kane missing the Three Lions’ World Cup qualifiers with Malta and Slovenia next month.

Spurs’ only other central striker is new signing Vincent Janssen, who joined from AZ Alkmaar in the summer but is yet to find the net in his six appearances so far this season, despite being prolific in the Dutch league last season.

Kane was one of three players to limp out of the win on Sunday after midfield duo Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier were both withdrawn with hamstring complaints, but Pochettino dismissed it as just cramp.

“Dier and Dembele only feel cramps in the hamstring, it’s not that big an issue,” Pochettino said.

“When you’re in different competitions, Champions League is a different competition, we spent a lot of energy on Wednesday, it’s different to the Europa League. It’s new for us so it’s important to learn.

“All of them are internationals, they come after a difficult summer, after playing in the Euros. It’s difficult with holidays and pre-season and it’s difficult to get fit.

"We will assess them today and see what happens. We're not expecting any big issues."