Tottenham have been handed a major injury blow as veteran Croatian Ivan Perisic has been ruled out for what is likely to be the remainder of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury picked up in training.
The winger-turned-wingback was heavily linked with a move away from north London over the summer, but has instead opted to stay at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and had made substitute appearances in each of their first five Premier League games of the campaign, as well as starting the Carabao Cup second round defeat to Fulham.
Though not first choice thanks to the arrival of Destiny Udogie over the summer, he had been the only cover for the Italian, with Ryan Sessengnon still absent with a hamstring injury picked up over the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Ivan Perisic (right) celebrates with teammates after their side’s second goal of the game during the Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday August 19, 2023. (Alamy Stock Photo)
Now though, Perisic’s season appears to be over, with a Tottenham statement confirming that ‘Perisic has suffered a complex Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee’.
They add that ‘the experienced Croatia international sustained the injury in non-contact training and will undergo surgery’.
With injuries of that type usually expected to sideline players for between six and nine months, and taking that time again to return to full previous sharpness, it is likely to mean the end of Perisic’s season.
They face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium over the weekend looking to continue their impressive unbeaten start to the season, but with fullback options thin on the ground at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they may yet regret loaning out Sergio Reguilon to Manchester United on deadline day.