Tottenham Hotspur striker Clinton Njié undergoes surgery after suffering knee ligament injury

Tottenham have been dealt an injury blow with the news that Clinton Njié has undergone surgery on an injury sustained during the 4-1 rout of Monaco on 10 December. Mauricio Pochettino revealed prior to this weekend's comfortable victory at former club Southampton that the striker appeared to have suffered knee ligament damage, confirming that he expected him to be sidelined "for a while".

Njié, 22, only arrived at White Hart Lane from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon on a five-year deal in August and has thus far struggled to make a discernible impact in English football. The Cameroon international, who represented his country briefly at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, has been restricted to just seven substitute appearances in the Premier League and has yet to score for his new team in any competition so far this season.

His only two starts to date under Pochettino have both come in the Europa League, although it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to return for Tottenham's two-legged knockout tie against Fiorentina in February.

"Clinton has undergone surgery to his knee (medial collateral ligament) after picking up the injury against Monaco," the club confirmed both via their Twitter account and official website. "We all wish Clinton a strong and speedy return to fitness. Get well soon."

With Njié sidelined indefinitely, Tottenham's options in the final third begin to look rather threadbare. While Harry Kane proved his enduring quality with an excellent solo effort during the 2-0 triumph at St Mary's, Pochettino lacks any obvious like-for-like replacements and will rely upon versatile players such as Heung-min Son and Erik Lamela to provide support.

Michy Batshuayi is one forward who has been linked with a potential move to north London in recent weeks, although a January switch appears unlikely after Marseille president Vincent Labrune expressed his hope to see the Belgian remain at the Stade Velodrome in the event that Michel's side qualifies for next season's Champions League.