Kane blow for Tottenham and England as striker needs hamstring surgery

England captain Harry Kane is to undergo surgery on his left hamstring and will be out of action until at least April, his club Tottenham have announced.

The striker suffered his injury on New Year’s Day when scoring a goal against Southampton that was ruled out for offside.

Spurs have specified the setback as a “ruptured tendon” and it means Kane is set to miss most of the rest of the Premier League season.

For England, the news comes as a blow to boss Gareth Southgate given Kane will miss a significant chunk of the build-up to Euro 2020, being ruled out of March friendlies against Italy and Denmark.

However, provided that he returns to training on time, Kane should be able to build up his match fitness over the closing weeks of 2019-20.

Tottenham said in a statement: “Following ongoing assessment by our medical staff over the past week, we can confirm that Harry Kane will undergo surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his left hamstring.

“The striker suffered the injury during our Premier League fixture against Southampton last week and specialists have advised surgery after further review of the injury.

“The decision to undergo surgery is not expected to impact the timeframe that the England captain will be sidelined, with the expectation that he will return to training in April.”

6 – In the last six Premier League matches that Harry Kane has played no part in for Tottenham Hotspur, they have picked up just five points (W1 D2 L3) and scored only four goals, despite attempting 80 shots (5% conversion rate). Hamstrung. pic.twitter.com/GG3R243f12

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 3, 2020

Kane, 26, has scored 11 goals in 20 Premier League appearances this term.

His record of 32 goals in 45 games demonstrates his importance to England. He won the Golden Boot as top scorer at the 2018 World Cup, netting six times in Russia as the Three Lions reached the semi-finals.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho faces a struggle to find a suitable replacement for Kane, given his influence over recent seasons.

Mourinho has Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura as options to lead the attack, along with teenager Troy Parrott.

However, with the transfer window open there is the option of trawling the market for a short-term fix to the problem, with Milan striker Krzysztof Piatek linked with a move.

The injury could scarcely have come at a worse time for Spurs, who are desperate to claw their way into the top four to secure Champions League football next season.

They sit sixth in the Premier League, six points behind fourth-place Chelsea, and host leaders Liverpool on Saturday.