Oliver Skipp is set to miss the opening two to three weeks of the Premier League season after suffering a hairline fracture in his heel, football.london understands.
The 21-year-old jumped for an aerial challenge with a team-mate on the training pitches at Hotspur Way on Friday ahead of the friendly against Rangers a week and a half ago and suffered the freak impact injury that is set to keep him out of the opening two to three weeks of the campaign.
A Spurs team-mate fell awkwardly on Skipp as the pair landed, leaving the England U21 midfielder with a deep cut in his foot from the stud impact and a hairline fracture in his heel. The cut, which required a lot of stitches, was so gruesome that many of the surrounding Tottenham players had to look away when they realised what had happened.
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The fracture is expected to heal quickly though and while Tottenham do need to wait for the heel bone to settle down, Skipp could be back in training in just over a fortnight's time. The accidental injury is even more unfortunate for the midfielder because he had fully recovered from a pelvic problem suffered last season and football.london understands he was being labelled by Spurs coaching staff as one of the top two fittest members of Antonio Conte's squad this pre-season.
Conte could be without another member of his midfield on Saturday for the Premier League opener against Southampton with summer signing Yves Bissouma a doubt for the match after picking up a slight hamstring tweak during the friendly match against Roma in Israel on Saturday.
The Mali international was wearing an ice pack on the injury following the match and his potential absence increases the likelihood of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur resuming their partnership in the centre of the pitch for Spurs against the Saints and young midfielders Pape Matar Sarr and Harvey White could be vying for a spot on the bench.
In outgoing news at Tottenham, football.london understands academy striker Kion Etete is set to leave the club this week on a permanent move to the Championship and on Wednesday was undertaking a medical at Cardiff City. The 20-year-old enjoyed successful loans at Northampton Town and Cheltenham Town last season but with fellow young strikers Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett signing new deals recently his future at Spurs looked to have been blocked and he will now move on.
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