Tottenham Hotspur star Lucas Bergvall will miss at least the rest of the season and the next round of international fixtures, according to reports in Sweden.
Bergvall injured as Spurs hunt Europa League glory
There's no question the Lilywhites won't have 100 per cent of their focus on the all-London clash with West Ham this weekend, despite the unquestionable morale boost a win over the Hammers would provide.
Ange Postecoglou's side travel to Norway next week with a 3-1 aggregate lead over Bodo/Glimt, knowing if the manager can fulfil his second season trophy promise it would not only rescue a diasastrous domestic campaign but also present more opportunities in the transfer market with Champions League football on offer.
They will have to do it without perhaps their player of the season however, with Swedish starlet Bergvall injured in training and since spotted wearing a protective boot.
Explaining the problem in his pre-West Ham press conference, Postecoglou said he expects the 19 year-old, who has just signed a new contract, to miss most or all of the remaining matches: "Just something you see all the time. It wasn't a tackle, he was on his own, he just went to turn and just his ankle gave away, so it's just one of those things.
"Sometimes life works in mysterious ways and it's denied Lucas the opportunity to play in a big game last night (Thursday). He's been a massive contributor to us, but I've got no doubt he'll come back stronger from that."
According to Swedish outlet Fotboll Direkt, translated by Sport Witness, Bergvall is without a doubt set to miss the entire Spurs fixture list, including a potential all-English Europa League final in Bilbao on May 21.
However, Ange may have underplayed the issue, with this update suggesting the teenager's return is "at least eight weeks" away, meaning he would also miss Sweden's matches against Hungary on June 6 and Algeria on June 10, as well as the opening stages of Spurs' pre season, with a return date expected around July 1.
This would of course be a massive blow for a player who has taken huge strides this season, having featured in 27 top flight matches and 12 more in European competition.
The young midfielder expressed his delight this week after signing a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2031, but will now have to wait until the middle of the summer to continue that journey.
"I worked really hard for this and, with help from my team-mates and the staff, I've developed a lot this season."
As for Ange, he will have to rely on a combination of Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur and Bergvall's compatriot Dejan Kulusevski to fill the gap against West Ham, in Norway on Thursday and beyond.