Dejan Kulusevski has undergone knee surgery and will miss Tottenham’s Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao next Wednesday.
The club have confirmed the setback, which came after Ange Postecoglou raised fears on Monday about the attacking midfielder’s involvement in the showpiece.
Kulusevski was forced off in the 19th minute of Spurs’ Premier League defeat at home against Crystal Palace on Sunday, with Postecoglou saying the player was still sore 24 hours later and everybody had their fingers crossed for him.
Kulusevski’s absence against United is a significant blow given his fine form for much of the season and how Postecoglou is without his other main option for the No 10 role, James Maddison, who also has a knee injury. The manager has said previously that another midfielder, Lucas Bergvall, is likely to be out for the rest of the season with an ankle issue.
Postecoglou’s remaining options in midfield are Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr and Archie Gray.