Spurs defender Matt Doherty picked up a knock during Tottenham’s game vs Aston Villa on Sunday and as per Football.London, he is now ruled out for the rest of the season.
Doherty was on the receiving end of a nasty challenge from Matty Cash, following which he had to be taken off in the 21st minute of the match. After the game, he was seen wearing a brace on his right knee and the worst fears seem to have come true.
As per the report, further scans have revealed significant damage to his medial collateral ligament and he is expected to be out for close to 12 weeks.
If this news is true then Matt Doherty’s season has come to an end and this is a major headache for Antonio Conte. The defender has been an influential figure for Spurs this season, scoring two and assisting four goals in 15 Premier League matches.
BREAKING: Tottenham's Matt Doherty is out for up to 12 weeks. pic.twitter.com/hmA0Gpe3Jb
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 11, 2022
Is the injury to Matt Doherty a cause of concern?
Originally a right-back, Matt Doherty was playing as the left wing-back against Villa so when he was injured, Reguilon came in as a direct replacement.
Now that the 30-year-old is out for the rest of the campaign, Reguilon will not have to warm the benches anymore and on the right-hand side, Emerson Royal has done a very good job in recent weeks.
So at least on paper, Matt Doherty will not be very badly missed but backup and rotations will be a major issue for Antonio Conte.
The Italian manager does not have a big squad as is and now that Doherty is out injured, a few more injuries and just like Arsenal, Spurs could also implode.
Tottenham need to hold onto that fourth spot on the table but they still have to face teams like Liverpool and Arsenal in the coming month.
