Tottenham defender claims he 'broke bone' before netting first goal of season
Tottenham centre-back Luka Vuskovic scored his first goal of the season on loan at Hamburger SV on Saturday but the Croatian teenager claims he suffered a suspected broken finger just before finding the net
Spurs defender Luka Vuskovic fears he broke his finger before bagging his maiden goal of the campaign whilst on loan at Hamburger SV.
The promising Croatian centre-half officially became a Tottenham player in July after a £12million deal was agreed with Hajduk Split for his services back in September 2023.
The 18-year-old featured throughout pre-season under Thomas Frank, scoring and providing an assist in a 2-0 friendly triumph over League One outfit Reading, before moving to HSV in late August.
He has now opened his account in the Bundesliga after hitting the back of the net in Saturday's 2-1 home triumph against Heidenheim.
Nevertheless, Vuskovic has now disclosed he believes he may have fractured his finger when striking his right hand against the post in anger after squandering an opportunity in the 27th minute.
The youngster told German publication Hamburger Morgenpost following the match: "I probably broke a finger. It's an old injury; I broke my finger a few months ago. But I was so angry about missing such a great opportunity that I hit the post with my hand. It will heal, don't worry."
Vuskovic also reflected after netting his maiden strike, stating: "I'm very proud, very emotional, and hope it wasn't my last goal. I just hoped the goal wouldn't be taken back."
The issue was clearly nothing serious as his goal came just 18 minutes after he hammered the woodwork in frustration.
His elder sibling, Mario, also plays for Hamburg but is currently sidelined due to a doping suspension that runs until November 2026.
Nevertheless, the Spurs starlet has been warmly embraced by the HSV supporters, especially after he rejected numerous other European loan opportunities to join the German outfit.
He added when quizzed about his bond with his sibling: "This means a lot to me. Ever since I started playing football, he's wished me good luck before every game. I'm really proud to have a brother like that."
Tottenham made it plain they refused to include a purchase clause in the loan deal with Hamburg as they believe the young talent has a bright future in north London.
Spurs boss Frank is understood to have considered retaining Vuskovic in his squad this term but ultimately, the club determined he needed to play regular football and that wasn't on offer in N17.
Last season, Vuskovic was loaned to KVC Westerlo in Belgium, where he found the net seven times in 36 Jupiler Pro League outings.