Premier League title hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that midfielder Nabil Bentaleb will be out for at least six weeks because he requires surgery on his left knee.
The 21-year-old Algerian international suffered the injury playing for the club's Under-21 outfit last week.
Spurs said on their website that Bentaleb was expected to resume training in six weeks, so any chance of returning to the first team is unlikely to arrive before the final month of the season in May.
Bentaleb was a regular for Spurs in midfield last season, making 26 Premier League appearances, but he has struggled to make an impression this term with only two league starts to his name.