Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies is reportedly set to be sidelined for up to four weeks after picking up an abdominal injury while representing Wales at the World Cup.
The 29-year-old started all three of the Dragons' group-stage matches with the USA, Iran and England, although he only lasted 59 minutes against the Three Lions.
Davies was helped to his feet by medical staff before trudging off the pitch, as Wales suffered a 3-0 defeat to exit the World Cup at the first hurdle.
Dragons manager Rob Page was unable to give a specific update on Davies's condition after the defeat to England, but football.london reports that the defender could now be sidelined for four weeks.
The report claims that the versatile Welshman suffered a painful abdominal injury - specifically in the oblique area - and he will likely be out of action until the New Year.
© Reuters
As a result, Davies is expected to miss Tottenham's first competitive game back after the World Cup break, which sees the Lilywhites take on Brentford on Boxing Day in the Premier League.
Antonio Conte's side will then tackle Aston Villa on New Year's Day, and they will play host to Arsenal for the second North London derby of the season on January 15.
Davies has been a regular under Conte since the Italian's arrival in North London, often featuring on the left-hand side of a back three with Eric Dier, Cristian Romero or Clement Lenglet.
The Wales international has recorded two goals and one assist from 17 matches in the 2022-23 season, having started 11 Premier League games and another three in the Champions League.
Davies has now totalled eight goals and 23 assists in 288 matches for Tottenham since joining from Swansea City in 2014, and he was rewarded with a new deal until 2025 in July.
© Reuters
Davies's abdominal issue is not the only injury concern for Conte ahead of the return of Premier League football, as Uruguay's Rodrigo Bentancur picked up a minor adductor tear in his side's inconsequential 2-0 win over Ghana last Friday.
The former Juventus man had to be taken off with 33 minutes on the clock and is reportedly facing a three-week layoff, which could threaten his participation for the Boxing Day clash with Brentford as well.
Tottenham have seen Romero, Lucas Moura, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Son Heung-min recover from their previous injury woes in recent weeks, but Ryan Sessegnon was absent from their final game before the World Cup - a 4-3 win over Leeds United.
The left-wing back is not thought to have returned to full training yet, meaning that he could miss out when Tottenham face Motherwell in a friendly match on Saturday afternoon.
The Lilywhites, who sit fourth in the Premier League table, will also take on Nice on December 21 following the World Cup break.
Ben Knapton
