Tottenham woe as Jan Vertonghen faces injury layoff

Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after it was confirmed he sustained knee ligament damage in his side’s comeback victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Vertonghen, an ever-present for Mauricio Pochettino’s side this season, fell awkwardly following a challenge by Connor Wickham and was later substituted.

The defender left Selhurst Park on crutches and, after undergoing a scan, has now been ruled out for the foreseeable future.

“Further assessment & scans have confirmed that @Jan_Vertonghen sustained damage to his medial collateral ligament in his knee at Palace,” Tottenham tweeted.

“Our medical staff will continue to monitor his progress during his rehabilitation to determine when he will be ready to return to training.”

Wickham, who appeared to catch Vertonghen in the face with his elbow, was charged with violent conduct by the FA for the incident, which was missed by referee Martin Atkinson.

Vertonghen’s injury will come as a blow to Tottenham who are chasing their first league title since 1961.

Following their 3-1 victory at Selhurst Park, Pochettino’s side are fourth in the table, five points adrift of leaders Leicester.

Tottenham travel to Colchester in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday before league games against Norwich, Watford, and Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Carl Jenkinson could miss the rest of the season after the on-loan West Ham defender suffered a knee injury in Saturday’s draw with Manchester City.

The 23-year-old, on loan at Upton Park for the second season in succession, will see a specialist later in the week and could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

It is likely the defender will return to parent club Arsenal for his rehabilitation.

Jenkinson, who joined Arsenal from Charlton in 2011, was forced off early on in the 2-2 draw, a result which left the Hammers sixth in the table.