Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been dealt a major injury blow regarding goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris, who is set for up to eight weeks on the sidelines with a knee problem.
The 36-year-old sustained the problem towards the end of Sunday's 1-0 win over Manchester City, and in the best case scenario, he will return after a six-week rehabilitation period.
However, Lloris may be forced to undergo surgery if a more conservative course of treatment does not work, and Fraser Forster has some big gloves to fill in the games ahead.
Lloris has been criticised for a number of mistakes this season, but the skipper's absence will no doubt be felt by Antonio Conte's side, and here Sports Mole takes a look at the games that the Frenchman is set to miss.
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Should Lloris manage to avoid surgery and recover quickly, the ex-France international can expect to return towards the end of March, but he may have to wait until the start of April to make his comeback.
News of Lloris's injury has come at a time when Conte's side are preparing for their Champions League last-16 tie with AC Milan, who host Spurs in the first leg on Tuesday before the second leg on March 8.
Forster will be required in goal for both of those games, unless Lloris can make a miraculously quick recovery, and should Tottenham progress to the quarters, those ties will be played on April 11-12 and 18-19.
Lloris could therefore aim for a return to action for the first leg of the quarter-final if Tottenham can knock out the Italian champions, but the same cannot be said for a potential FA Cup quarter-final.
Tottenham face Sheffield United in the fifth round on March 1, which Lloris will miss, and the quarter-finals will take place on the weekend of March 18, which should be too early for the former Lyon man as well.
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However, should Tottenham manage to make it to Wembley for the semi-finals on April 22 and April 23, Lloris will expect to be back in the fold and starting in between the sticks.
In terms of Premier League fixtures, Lloris's first game on the sidelines comes away to Leicester City this Saturday, and he will also miss two London derbies with West Ham United and Chelsea before the end of the month.
Clashes with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest and Southampton in March should also require Forster in goal, but Lloris may be fit again for a trip to Everton on April 1 or the visit of Brighton & Hove Albion to North London on April 8.
Thankfully for Tottenham, Chelsea should be the only Big Six opponents that they meet during Lloris's layoff, with the Frenchman likely to have recovered for meetings with Manchester United and Liverpool on April 25 and 29 respectively.
Ben Knapton
