Just as he was getting good…
Dele Alli put in a stonking performance against Manchester City on Tuesday but his availability is now in doubt amid reports he suffered a broken hand in the Champions League win.
A challenge in the 87th minute saw the England midfielder hit the deck, clutching his wrist. He was subbed off immediately and had scans on the damage on the following day.
Spurs have officially announced the results of the tests with a fractured left hand the diagnosis. Now the club has to determine how, or if, he can play through the injury. Continuing on during hand or wrist injuries is certainly possible for players provided with a splint or cast to protect from further damage.
Spurs could certainly do with Alli keeping his momentum from Tuesday’s beating of City, not least because he turned in a star performance across the pitch, constantly busy and threatening the opposition defence.
But there’s also the fact they travel to Etihad Stadium twice in the coming week-and-a-half, first on Wednesday for the quarter-final second leg and then the following Saturday in the Premier League. Granted, they face Huddersfield Town this weekend so the matter is slightly less pressing than it could be.
If Alli is made unavailable, there will be huge worries about Spurs’ firepower with Harry Kane definitely sidelined for the immediate future. The striker injured his ankle against City and left the stadium on crutches.
Not only is Kane a doubt for the coming weeks, there are fears he might miss the rest of Tottenham’s season entirely as well as England’s Nations League finals in June. And that’s no laughing matter.
