Tottenham Hotspur will have to play in the absence of Harry Kane for at least a "few weeks" following their match against Liverpool. During their 1-3 Premier League loss at the hands of the defending champions on Thursday, Kane injured both his ankles and required treatment on the pitch before being replaced.

The 27-year-old England international initially hurt his right ankle during a clash against Liverpool player Thiago Alcantara. He was able to continue playing before he landed awkwardly on his left ankle after a challenge with Jordan Henderson.

Both hits came in the first half, and the striker was eventually replaced by Erik Lamela at the half-time break.

Spurs manager Jose Mourinho spoke about the incidents and said, "The second injury was worse than the first one. He was coping with one but couldn't cope with both."

Mourinho also confirmed that the injury is not something to be simply brushed off. According to the BBC, he said, "For Harry to leave a game when the team is losing is not a nothing injury. There are some players you can't replace. When it happens it happens, but I believe we have to fight against it, we cannot do anything else."

Kane's departure from the pitch shifted the momentum fully in favour of Liverpool. Roberto Firminho scored the opening goal in the closing minutes of the first half before Trent Alexander-Arnold doubled the lead two minutes after the restart.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg pulled one back for the Spurs shortly after, but Sadio Mane's goal in the 65th minute sealed the deal for Liverpool.

Kane had previously suffered similar injuries on his ankles, and Mourinho is hoping that he won't be ruled out for long spells like in the 2018-19 season, when he damaged ligaments on his left ankle.

He also missed a month of action during the 2017-18 campaign due to similar injuries on his right ankle.

Harry Kane
Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane AFP / Ben STANSALL
Premier League Tottenham Hotspur FC Liverpool FC Jose Mourinho