Tottenham starlet Alex Pritchard leaves on crutches as England Under-21s suffer injury scare

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Alex Pritchard left the Andruv Stadion in the Czech Republic on crutches following England Under-21's win over Sweden, sparking fears his involvement in the European Championship may be over.

Pritchard, 22, was brought into the first team by manager Gareth Southgate for the second group game on 21 June but was withdrawn after 55 minutes, after suffering what appeared to be a twisted ankle.

His replacement Jesse Lingard went on to score the winner, as England kept their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the competition alive with a 1-0 victory, but Pritchard's chances of featuring in the final group game against Italy on 24 June could now be slim.

"We have to have a look," Southgate told Sky Sports News of Pritchard's injury. "It is an ankle injury – it didn't look very good when he was coming off."

The Spurs starlet was seen limping out of the stadium with his foot also encased in a protective boot.

Pritchard's knock could be a worry for Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, who has already confirmed the player will have a role in his first-team squad next season.

The attacking midfielder excelled on loan at Brentford last season, scoring 12 goals for the Championship side, and Pochettino had hoped to have the player available for pre-season, which will follow England's Under-21 campaign.

Asked by a fan during a Q&A session on Facebook if the midfielder would be in the first team next campaign, Pochettino replied: "Yes of course, he is in our plans for next season.

"He starts pre-season when he gets back from the Euros and we are looking forward to having him back after a successful loan with Brentford."

Pochettino added: "We need the right balance in the team. It's not about age it's about the right profile of player for the team.

"We need to get the balance in the squad through our knowledge, the way we see the squad and what we want from them to deliver the style. You put this all together then you can decide which profile of player you need to fit the style, and this is how you get the right balance in the squad. It is a process, it's not about a mix of youth with experience."