Tottenham await news on Jermain Defoe injury with lengthy lay-off possible

Striker injured ankle during victory over West Brom

Tottenham are awaiting news on the extent of Jermain Defoe's injury after the striker was sent for scans on his ankle today.

The England striker twisted his ankle during the first half of the 1-0 win at West Brom and although head coach Andre Villas-Boas believes the 30-year-old could return in three weeks, the damage done to the ligaments suggests a longer absence will be necessary report The Evening Standard.

Emmanuel Adebayor should be back for Spurs’ home game against Newcastle on Saturday after Togo were beaten by Burkina Faso in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals last night.

But Adebayor’s return still leaves Spurs with only one senior striker. While youngster Harry Kane has returned to the club after his aborted loan spell at Norwich, Spurs could still add to the squad by signing a free agent if the injury sustained by Defoe is sufficiently serious.

A brilliant 67th-minute strike from Gareth Bale delivered victory over Albion, for whom Goran Popov was sent off for spitting at Kyle Walker. The result leaves Villas-Boas’s men in fourth place, three points above Everton, and Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris believes it is vital for the future of the club that they stay in that position.

Lloris said: “We want to grow and Tottenham need to be in the Champions League. But it’s not about playing just one year in that competition, it’s about playing there for many years.

“We play this sport to play at the highest level and the Champions League is the best competition for any player. Economically it’s an important thing for the club, so maybe the club need it to keep all the best players.

“Our objective is to stay in the top four. We are only one point behind Chelsea, so if we could gain one place it would be a good thing for us. We have great games against Chelsea and Arsenal to come, as well as against Newcastle on Saturday.

“Arsenal’s win over Stoke at the weekend put pressure on us and West Brom was a test but we did well.”

Villas-Boas said: “It was an important week. We managed to get four points and our team haven’t lost since December in the Premier League.”