Tottenham Hotspur have announced that luckless winger Ryan Sessegnon has been forced to undergo another operation on a hamstring injury and will be sidelined for an unspecified period of time.
The 23-year-old had already gone under the knife to address a serious issue in the summer and waited until January to make his first appearance of the season, coming off the bench in an FA Cup win over Burnley.
Sessegnon immediately re-entered the treatment room with a setback, though, forcing him to undertake another six-week recovery programme before returning to action with the Under-21s on February 17.
Rather than take on Wolverhampton Wanderers with the senior team, Sessegnon started for the youth side in their Premier League 2 fixture with West Ham United, but he was forced off the field with just 37 minutes on the board.
The England Under-21 international's most recent issue affected his right hamstring - the opposite side to which he injured over the summer - but his latest concern was serious enough to require another operation.
© Reuters
"Ryan Sessegnon has undergone surgery to his right hamstring following an injury during an Under-21s match," Tottenham said in a statement. "The 23-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by our medical team to determine when he can return to training."
Arriving from Fulham in 2019 with a high ceiling, Sessegnon has been restricted to just 57 matches in a Tottenham shirt over the past five years, having struggled with a multitude of fitness concerns.
The versatile winger has only earned seven minutes of senior football under Ange Postecoglou so far, and he confessed to being "gutted beyond belief" on social media after his successful procedure.
"Gutted beyond belief. Just when I saw a light at the end of the tunnel, and thought I was back doing what I love, I've hit another setback," Sessegnon wrote.
"I've been down this road before. I'll pick myself up, stay head strong and begin my recovery in the best way possible. Having been through another operation & the recovery on my other hamstring last year, and knowing how strong that hamstring is now, I know this is the best solution to put an end to the reoccurring issues.
— Ryan Sessegnon (@RyanSessegnon) February 26, 2024
"Thank you to those who have sent messages of support - I can't express how it feels. We're all human at the end of the day, and I'm devastated more than anyone to have a setback.
"I'll do everything I can to be back out on that pitch. Speaking on behalf of anyone who's been in this situation, please be careful what you say online. Words hurt and no-one chooses to be in this position."
Sessegnon is expected to spend up to three months recovering from his latest issue, which could therefore rule him out for the remainder of the season, but the winger could be back in action in 10 weeks in the best-case scenario.
The ex-Cottagers man joins Manor Solomon (knee) and Fraser Forster (ankle) on Spurs' long-term injury list, while Pedro Porro (strain) and Destiny Udogie (knee) also missed the defeat to Wolves two weekends ago.
Tottenham - who did not play in the most recent round of fixtures owing to Chelsea's participation in the EFL Cup final - sit fifth in the Premier League table and return to action at home to London rivals Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
Ben Knapton
