January 17 – England and Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a potentially massive blow after a leading orthopaedic surgeon predicted Harry Kane will miss not just the rest of the season but also Euro 2020 in the summer.
The England captain suffered a torn hamstring in the New Year’s Day defeat against Southampton and went under the knife last weekend to repair a ruptured tendon in his left hamstring.
The club say they expect him to resume training in April but Chris Wilson, one of the country’s prominent experts, says it is more likely to be six months before the irreplaceable Tottenham striker and goalscorer can play again.
“I would expect it to be six months before he could return to action,” Dr Wilson, who has performed the same operation 75 times, told Press Association.
“There is a big range of opinion because it is such an uncommon procedure and some surgeons may say quicker. If the repair was good and sound, the first six weeks he will be nursing the repair and doing very little.
“Six to 12 weeks, providing everything was OK, he will be doing basic strengthening exercises. At three months you would start a normal hamstring rehabilitation that you would do if you got a tear in the middle of the muscle.”
England kick off their European Championship campaign against Croatia on June 14 and Wilson added: “If I was talking to a top-level footballer I would want to manage their expectations and say I wouldn’t anticipate them being fit and playing normally in a game for six months following the surgery.
“If it was me I would say aim for getting fit for pre-season training. I am aware in Harry Kane’s case they have been saying April or May – I have to say I would be very surprised.”
Kane has a history of defying medical opinion over the last two seasons after suffering ankle ligament injuries. Wilson, who has operated on Olympic athletes, is urging caution this time.
“There is a risk of recurrence,” he said. “Coming back too early increases the risk of re-rupture. There is no getting around that. Most of the surgeons will say it will take at least three months before he is doing some normal running and training. He may defy expectations. If it was me, I would say forget playing before six months, no matter how good you feel.”
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