Tottenham's defensive injury crisis went from bad to worse after the club confirmed that Alan Hutton is likely to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
The news comes as a bitter blow to Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who is already without a number of defenders.
Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate and Younes Kaboul are all injured while William Gallas, who sat out the 0-0 draw at Wigan on Saturday with a knee problem, is a doubt for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid in the Spanish capital on Tuesday.
Michael Dawson and Sebastien Bassong are Redknapp's only two fit natural centre-halves, while Hutton's rival at right-back, Vedran Corluka, can also play there if needed.
A statement on Tottenham's official website read: 'Alan Hutton is to undergo knee surgery after scans confirmed the defender had torn his lateral meniscus.
'The Scotland international injured his knee in training on Thursday and the operation is likely to rule him out for the rest of the season.'
Hutton has played 27 times for the club this season.
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Source: Daily Mail
Source: Daily Mail