Spurs confirm Harry Kane out for a month but injury news hands boost to England and their World Cup hopes

Striker has damaged lateral ligaments in his right ankle and will miss the next month for Tottenham, but fears he will not play again this season have been dismissed

Harry Kane will miss a month with an ankle injury (Getty)

Tottenham have announced that they expect Harry Kane to be sidelined for a month after damaging his lateral ligaments in his right ankle, handing England a welcome boost after fears he could miss the World Cup later this year.

The striker limped off in Tottenham’s 4-1 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday, and Spurs were unable to pinpoint what the exact problem was as his ankle remained swollen on Monday and Tuesday, preventing a scan from taking place.

But an improvement on Wednesday meant that medics could examine the injury and determine how long the 24-year-old will be out for, with the club expecting the forward to return to training in four weeks’ time.

"Preliminary assessments have confirmed that [Harry] Kane has damaged lateral ligaments in his right ankle,” the club posted on Twitter.

"The England striker sustained the injury following a challenge in our 4-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday and is expected to return to First Team training next month."

The tweet included Kane grimacing on the turf at the Vitality Stadium, and is certainly a blow for Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino as the Argentine will now have to reply on Son Heung-min and Fernando Llorente to keep his attack firing this season.

The England international has been pictured in a protective boot and on crutches since the injury, and he will miss England’s internationals against the Netherlands next Friday and the Wembley clash with Italy the following Tuesday.

But while it is a blow for Gareth Southgate’s plans for the two matches, he will be relieved to hear that Kane will be back in action in April and have a full month of football under his belt before the Three Lions start their preparations for the World Cup.

And while Kane has suffered two similar injuries to the same joint, this latest setback is not as bad as his previous knocks and should ensure that he has plenty of preparation for the major tournament in Russia next June.