Tottenham have confirmed that Emerson Royal will undergo surgery on his knee – which could rule him out for the rest of the season – in another huge blow to Christian Stellini’s top four hopes.
- Tottenham have confirmed that defender Emerson Royal will undergo knee surgery
- The full-back is now likely to miss the remainder of the Premier League season
Tottenham have confirmed that defender Emerson Royal will undergo knee surgery after sustaining an injury while on international duty with Brazil.
The full back was injured during the closing stages of Brazil’s 2-1 defeat by Morocco on Saturday and is expected to be out of action for at least six weeks, leaving him struggling to return before the end of the season.
The 24-year-old has made 22 appearances in the Premier League this season and was a favorite under Antonio Conte before his recent departure.
The meniscus surgery will take place in London after he returns to England after international duty with Brazil.
A club statement read: ‘We can confirm that Emerson Royal sustained a meniscus injury in his left knee while on international duty with Brazil last week.
Tottenham have confirmed that defender Emerson Royal will undergo knee surgery
The defender will undergo surgery before starting his rehabilitation with our medical staff.
And it is the latest blow to Tottenham and their new acting coach, Christian Stellini, who was promoted from assistant on Sunday night after Conte’s mutual departure.
Ben Davies and Richarlison both suffered muscle problems in the dramatic 3-3 draw with Southampton on March 18, and the Wales defender has been ruled out until May with a hamstring problem.
Richarlison previously missed the latter stages of the World Cup after injuring his hamstring while representing his country in Qatar, before eventually returning to action in January.
Then Spurs’ spell took another turn for the worse after Conte was criticized for not giving him more minutes after the club’s Champions League exit against AC Milan.
The 25-year-old then enjoyed a run in the side before disaster struck in a recent 3-3 draw with Southampton that saw Richarlison go off after just five minutes into the game.
He left the field in tears after looking uncomfortable during the warm-up, before his injury became apparent during the match.
Fellow Brazilian Richarlison (right) is expected to return to action for the club in early April
Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris may return to action after participating in a recent friendly match
Richarlison crouched on the grass in dismay, consoled by his captain, Harry Kane, before walking down the tunnel. Fortunately, any fears of a prolonged layoff proved untrue.
While Richarlison’s injury is not as severe as first thought, he will miss an emotional Goodison Park return for the next Premier League game at Everton on April 3 and is targeting a return to action later in the month.
Wing-back Ryan Sessegnon is another player on the treatment table who is close to fitness but facing Everton will come very soon.
However, captain Hugo Lloris could be in contention for Tottenham’s first game since Conte’s exit after he featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Ipswich last week with a knee injury.