Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy set to miss Tottenham FA Cup clash due to groin surgery

Jamie Vardy is set to miss Leicester City's forthcoming FA Cup third-round tie against Tottenham due to a groin injury. The 28-year-old seems to have been suffering from the problem for some time, while also being afflicted by a virus prior to the disappointing draw with Bournemouth on 2 January.

Despite those ailments, he was still able to complete 90 minutes at the King Power Stadium. He hit the post with an early effort and even won a contentious first-half penalty when Simon Francis was dismissed for a last-ditch sliding challenge. Riyad Mahrez's spot-kick was saved by Artur Boruc, however, and the match eventually finished goalless.

Vardy has been instrumental during Leicester's surprising Premier League title bid in 2015/16, scoring 15 times in 20 appearances under Claudio Ranieri and also breaking former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's record for goals scored in consecutive top-flight matches.

Underlining his obvious importance to the cause, widespread reports from the likes of Sky Sports now suggest that the club have opted to schedule his operation to coincide with their cup clash in order to minimise the number of league games missed. Leicester face Tottenham for the second time in three days on 13 January before rounding off the month with fixtures against Aston Villa and Stoke. Estimations for Vardy's period of absence currently range from one to two weeks, with some believing that he will be sidelined for approximately 10 days.

One piece of positive news for Leicester supporters comes with an update to the future of Demarai Gray. The talented young winger was left out of Birmingham City's squad for their Championship win over Brentford last weekend amid rumours that he was scheduled to undertake a medical ahead of a £3.75m ($5.53m) move to the east Midlands.

Manager Gary Rowett later confirmed that the player had requested permission to speak to a Premier League club that had matched his release clause. The Birmingham Mail now suggest that the switch could be confirmed as early as 4 January, with a loan return to St Andrew's not believed to be on the agenda.