What will Spurs do without Harry Kane for the next two months?
Tottenham Hotspur announced that Harry Kane has ligament damage to his right ankle, which is no major surprise after seeing him writhe around in pain before being stretchered off the pitch during their win over Sunderland this weekend. And while Spurs have refused to put a timeline on his return, multiple reports say that he will be out for at least two months.
So, what will Tottenham do without their star striker?
The good news for Mauricio Pochettino is he's not screwed, which he would have been a year ago. The signing of Vincent Janssen in the summer gives Tottenham another striker in the squad and one they will use with Kane out. Janssen has already made one start this season and has appeared as a substitute another five times, so he's not coming into the team cold or without match fitness. He's yet to score, and has missed on a couple good chances, but has been good in the press and has been a threat. If he can find the net a couple times over the next two months, Spurs will be plenty happy with his play and the club shouldn't have too many issues.
When Janssen can't play, be it because of squad rotation from fixture congestion or if he's subbed off, Son Heung-min will probably step in. He's not a natural striker, but Spurs have added depth in the midfield so they can handle his absence there and Son has shown he can play striker before, especially with South Korea. But it's far from his best position and Tottenham will miss the hold-up play and presence in front of goal that they get from Kane and Janssen. Beyond him, youth teamers Marcus Edwards and Shayon Harrison are Tottenham's next options, which is one way of saying that Janssen and Son better stay fit and available until Kane returns.
By the time Kane is expected to be back on the pitch, Spurs will have played at least six more Premier League matches and be more than a quarter of the way through their campaign. They'll have also gone through three more Champions League matches, a competition they have little room for error in after losing at home to Monaco in their opener.
To say that this is a crucial time for Spurs would be an understatement. They can't make their season over the next two months, but they can see much of it slip away if they can't handle Kane's absence. Tottenham signed Janssen and built squad depth to handle whatever came their way this season. Now it's time for them to show it off.
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