GARY LEWIN: Harry Kane may need to sit out for two to three weeks after his ankle injury against Everton… the Tottenham star has recovered quickly in the past but is a huge doubt for next week’s cup final
- Spurs striker Kane has previously recovered from injuries quicker than expected
- The fact Kane walked off the pitch against Everton on Friday night is a good sign
- He could still be out for several weeks and miss the chance of getting a trophy
Harry Kane has a history of ankle injuries and when that is the case, it often results in a laxity in the ankle ligament caused by previous injuries.
Though he has never needed surgery due to an ankle injury, it’s possible the laxity means the chance of turning the ankle is increased. Ligaments prevent excess movement and if there is too much laxity from previous injuries you get too much movement.
You never know the extent of the damage until the injury is scanned. That is an MRI scan and they might X-ray as well. They tend to do weight-bearing X-rays too, making the player stand on the injured leg.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane (left) picked up an ankle injury against Everton on Friday evening
Kane hobbled off and could miss Spurs’ EFL Cup final against Manchester City on April 25
All the while the Tottenham medics will be working on reducing the swelling and soft tissue inflammation with ice, massage and compression. It’s difficult to know inside 48 hours whether there is structural damage.
From TV, it looked as though he turned his lateral ligaments, which are on the outside leg. Damaging the internal ligaments, which protect the ankle joint, is more serious.
Damage there could require surgery, but that he walked off the pitch suggests that is not the case.
An injury like the one Kane suffered usually warrants two or three weeks on the sidelines
He would still need two-to-three weeks’ rest. But Harry has shown he does respond well to treatment and recovers quicker than anticipated.
One thing they won’t be using is injections. There was a time when steroids were used to reduce swelling and anaesthetic used to play through the pain.
But the long-term risks of masking an injury artificially are now well recognised and serious damage can be done.
Gary Lewin is the former England and Arsenal physio and now runs lewinclinic.co.uk
