RYAN MASON has confirmed Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris is out for the rest of the season with a muscle problem.
While Ryan Sessegnon will also not play again this term due to his hamstring injury.
But there is hope Yves Bissouma, sidelined since February with a fractured ankle, could play again before the campaign ends.
Lloris, 36, was taken off at half-time during last month’s 6-1 pasting at Newcastle.
Speaking ahead of Spurs’ hosting of Crystal Palace on Saturday, interim boss Mason said: “Hugo is out for the season,
“We had the results back. Obviously disappointing. We feared that initially and now we’ve had the results.”
READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
Doubts had already been raised that Lloris could end his 11-year stay at the club after a difficult season where he has made a number of errors.
Tottenham are keen to sign a new stopper in the coming months with Everton’s Jordan Pickford and David Raya of Brentford under consideration.
The Frenchman’s current contract expires next summer but if he is to depart during this close-season, it would mean his last game would unfortunately be that thrashing on Tyneside.
Asked about Lloris’s future, Mason added: “I can’t speak about that but we need him as our captain for the remainder of this season.”
Most read in Football
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
Sessegnon’s last game came in the 1-0 win over Manchester City in February, but Emerson Royal should come back into contention after recovering from knee surgery.
Mason, 31, said: “Ryan had a significant injury and he won’t feature for the rest of the season.
“Emerson is day by day now and hopefully he can help us before the end of the season.”
Bissouma also went under the knife for a stress fracture to his left ankle in February.
Encouragingly, Mason said: “We’re hopeful [he can play a part before the end of the season]. “Some hurdles he’s got to overcome.”
2018 World Cup winning goalkeeper Lloris joined Spurs from French club Lyon way back in 2012.
A great servant to the club, Lloris has played 447 games for Spurs, and was named captain by Mauricio Pochettino in 2015.
He has the most Premier League appearances in the club’s history.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
