Tottenham Hotspur’s season has gone from bad to worse as right-back Emerson Royal is set to miss six weeks of action due to a knee injury that requires surgery. The Brazilian defender has been a key player for Spurs this season, featuring in the majority of their games under former manager Antonio Conte.
Royal’s injury was reported by Fabrizio Romano in his daily column for Caughtoffside, where he stated that the operation would take place in the coming days.
He wrote: “Emerson Royal is set to miss next six weeks with a knee injury — and it also requires surgery. Operation will take place in the next days — one more blow for Spurs and Stellini.”
The news will come as a major setback for Tottenham, who have already lost some of their key players to long-term injuries this season, including goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, midfielder Yves Bissouma, and midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.
The injury to Royal will further deplete Tottenham’s already thin squad, which has struggled for consistency this season. Spurs have been knocked out of the FA Cup, the League Cup, and the Champions League, and have had issues both on and off the pitch, with Conte calling out his players and the club hierarchy before being sacked.
Royal had been Tottenham’s first-choice right-back for most of the season, despite not being in his best form. However, recent games have seen new signing Pedro Porro take his place in the starting lineup, with Royal featuring mainly as a substitute.
Despite this, Royal remains a key player in the squad. With Doherty making a shock move to Atletico Madrid on the final day of the January window, Spurs will have no other backup option for the right-back position if Porro also gets injured.
The news of Royal’s injury will come as a huge blow to Tottenham as the club enters the final stage of the season. With hopes of a top-four finish fading, Spurs will need to rally quickly if they are to salvage anything from a disappointing campaign.
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