Tottenham Hotspur have announced that Yves Bissouma will undergo surgery to repair a stress fracture in his ankle on Friday and will be out for an unspecified amount of time.
The Mali international joined Antonio Conte's side from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer and has made 25 appearances for the Lilywhites in all competitions this season.
Twenty of those outings have come in the Premier League, but he has only started eight top-flight games as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur remain Conte's first-choice pairing.
Bissouma has nevertheless formed an important part of Spurs' squad this season, and he played the full 90 minutes in Spurs' 3-0 FA Cup win over Preston North End on January 28.
The 26-year-old came off the bench for the final six minutes of Tottenham's 1-0 Premier League victory over Manchester City last weekend, and assistant manager Cristian Stellini did not mention an injury to Bissouma in Thursday's press conference.
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However, Tottenham have now revealed that Bissouma has suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle, and he will undergo an operation on Friday.
The Lilywhites will not put a timeframe on the midfielder's recovery until after the procedure is complete, but he is sure to miss Saturday's Premier League clash with Leicester City.
Bissouma is also expected to sit out both legs of Spurs' Champions League last-16 tie with AC Milan, starting with next week's first leg at San Siro before the Italian champions visit North London on March 8.
"We can confirm that Yves Bissouma is to undergo surgery on Friday to repair a stress fracture to his left ankle," Tottenham said in a social media statement.
"A timeframe for his return will be determined after surgery. He will begin rehabilitation with our medical staff as soon as possible. Get well soon, Yves."
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Bissouma's stress fracture represents a second serious injury blow in the space of two days for Tottenham, who are without captain Hugo Lloris for five to seven weeks due to a knee problem.
The French goalkeeper suffered damaged ligaments towards the end of Sunday's win over Manchester City, although Spurs are hopeful that he will not need to go under the knife as well.
Fraser Forster will deputise in goal while Lloris recovers, but Stellini claimed that everybody else is available when addressing the media in place of Conte, who is back in the UK following surgery of his own.
Conte had to have his gallbladder removed in his native Italy after experiencing severe abdominal pain, but he is expected to return to the dugout at the King Power Stadium, having taken training for the first time since his operation on Thursday.
Tottenham enter the weekend sat fifth in the Premier League table, but they will temporarily rise into the top four with victory over 14th-placed Leicester on Saturday afternoon.
Ben Knapton
