Tottenhem Suffer Major Setback as Midfielder Set for Three Months Out with Ankle Injury - Report

Tottenham are faced with a major injury setback in the form of Christian Eriksen, according to the Daily Mail, who is out for up to three months with an ankle injury suffered on international duty with Denmark.

It was initially thought that Eriksen would be out for two months but the doctors fear the worst and have significantly lenghtened the recovery period. The Dane is now expected to feature in February which will be a major blow to Andre Villas-Boas hopes of putting in a title challenge.

Spurs are currently on twenty points, joint with Manchester United and Everton while five points behind arch rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal. Eriksen transferred from Ajax last summer in a £100m spending spree for the north London side and has had a major impact for the White Hart Lane club since his arrival.

However, the Dane has mellowed down over the past few games while habituating himself with the Premier League. He has started in five games in the league, accumulating one assist thus far but was getting better as the premiership wore on. This latest setback will curb his development, something which will act in the detriment of Spurs as they look to push on.

Pressure will now be on Lewis Holtby to step up, who will replace Eriksen in the starting line-up as their playmaker. The German international was linked with a move out of the club due to lack of game time but his agent has clarified that he is intent on fighting for his place at Tottenham.

"Lewis has definitely no intention of leaving Tottenham. On the contrary, he feels very comfortable at the club and in London. He wants to establish himself further and contribute so the club can reach its goals this season," he told www.goal.com.

"If you take into consideration that he missed all of his pre-season due to an injury that he had during the Under-21 European Championship, it is remarkable he has already played 13 matches and scored or assisted seven goals.

"He worked very hard in rehabilitation and after good performances in the Europa League and Capital One Cup he recommended himself for a place in the starting line-up for Premier League matches. I get the feeling that Lewis comes back even stronger after an injury," his agent added.