Injury blow for Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur defender Michael Dawson will miss the rest of the season after being ruled out for 10-12 weeks due to an ankle ligament injury.

Dawson suffered the injury during the early stages of Spurs’ 3-1 victory over Stevenage in an FA Cup fifth round replay at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night.

Harry Redknapp admitted after the game that he thought it would be unlikely that Dawson would play again this season after he landed awkwardly following an aerial challenge with Chris Beardsley.

Tests have now confirmed the extent of the damage and Dawson faces a period of up to three months on the sidelines.

A club statement read: “Scans taken this morning have determined that Michael Dawson is likely to be absent for a period of 10-12 weeks.

“The central defender was stretchered off in the first half of the FA Cup tie against Stevenage last night, with it now confirmed that he suffered a ruptured ligament in his right ankle.”

Dawson now seems certain to miss out on selection for England’s Euro 2012 squad as he will not have the time to prove his fitness.

Speaking after the win over Stevenage, Redknapp acknowledged that it would be a big loss to be without Dawson for the coming weeks.

Redknapp said: “Michael Dawson looks like he has got a really bad injury, which is a massive blow for Michael and everybody.

“It is a big blow for us and for Michael.

“It’s a big loss, he is a big professional. You want him around your team, that’s for sure.”

The 28-year-old has been restricted to just 13 appearances for Spurs this season after missing four months earlier in the campaign with an Achilles tendon injury.