During the Premier League game between the Tottenham Spurs and AFC Bournemouth on March 11, Tottenham’s Harry Kane rolled his ankle in the first half after a collision with Asmir Begović. This is the same right ankle that has given him trouble before– last season he injured it twice. Tottenham finished the game with a 4-1 win over Bournemouth; however, they lost an extremely vital player. It appears Kane will be out for six weeks with ankle ligament damage. Now everyone is wondering how this will affect Tottenham’s future success.
Though the Spurs’ striker will be missed, the team still carries additional high-quality players. Three names come to mind: Son Heung-Min, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli.
Son Heung-Min
After Kane limped off the field, Son Heung-Min was moved up front and in the second half, scored twice. The 25-year old winger/forward from South Korea has been playing with Tottenham since August 2015. Since the beginning of the season, he has scored 18 goals. With still two months to go, it is expected that this number will grow. Although his playing style is different from Kane’s, Heung Min is an impressive forward and one of the few Asian players in the Premier League to gain notable recognition.
Christian Eriksen
Tottenham advanced to the FA Cup semi-finals after a 3-0 win over Swansea City this past Saturday. Christian Eriksen was responsible for two of these goals. As an attacking midfielder for Tottenham since August 2013, this 26-year-old originally from Denmark has been a consistently strong player. He is excellent at identifying the free space on the field as well as crafting opportunities for his teammates. Eriksen has had seven goals so far this season, and 38 goals overall since his start with the Premier League.
Dele Alli
Although Dele Alli also sustained a minor injury later in the game against Bournemouth, he still remains a promising player in Kane’s absence. At the age of 21, he is a native of the UK and has been a midfielder for Tottenham since February 2015. Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino recently claimed that Alli is the best player in his age group. Since joining the Premier League, Alli has made 99 appearances, scored 34 goals, and made 25 assists.
With their latest victory against Swansea City, the Spurs are showing that they are still a force to be reckoned with– Kane or no Kane. Pochettino expresses pride for his team and confidence in his players’ abilities. Tottenham’s next match is against Chelsea on April 1, 2018.
