Tottenham’s Erik Lamela ruled out for the rest of the season – Twitter reacts

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Tottenham Hotspur’s Erik Lamela will miss the rest of the season as he continues to suffer from a hip injury, according to the BBC Sport. The Argentine winger has been out of action since October and is set to undergo further surgery on Saturday. Although he had made progress in his recovery, he was still not able to return to training and that is why the decision has been made to operate.

The Argentine international had started the season in good form with two goals and seven assists in his 14 appearances for Spurs. It looked like he was going to take his game to the next level and begin to play as a £30 million player on a consistent basis. The injury led to a selection issue for Mauricio Pochettino as nobody stepped up to make the right wing position their own. He has since changed formation, but there had been hope that Lamela would be back before the end of the season to offer a different option. The winger has said the following on his Twitter page:

“I tried everything to recover but my hip is still not 100%. I can’t compete at the level I want to. I’ll face this challenge with a positive attitude and can’t wait to get back with the team and be stronger.”

The injury isn’t the biggest blow to Tottenham, as they have found a way of playing without him and have a squad deep enough to cope. However, it will be a disappointment as he had been expected to return before the end of the season. They have taken the decision that best serves their long-term interests. A fully-fit and motivated Lamela will be like a new signing next season, offering a different tactical option to Pochettino.

After a poor start to his Tottenham career, he has managed to slowly develop under Pochettino and he remains an important first-team player. At times this season, the team have needed a more dynamic attacking option to change a game. Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen have been relied upon. Although both have excelled during the second half of the season, it would have been useful to have Lamela available to provide competition.

This season has been a setback to the Argentine’s progress, but it won’t be terminal. At the age of 25, he has plenty of time to fulfil his undoubted potential. He is at the right club to continue his progression as the squad continue to progress as individuals and as a team under Pochettino. If he manages to completely recover from his hip injury, he can once again be a regular in the Tottenham first eleven.

Here is how Twitter reacted to the news that Lamela will be missing for the rest of the season…

Some Tottenham fans didn’t think it was as big a blow as others are making out:

There are doubts about the medical advice that he had received:

https://twitter.com/justinlogan23/status/847111835199426564

Finally, there are a few Tottenham fans who believe that the Argentine has played his last game for the club:

https://twitter.com/e_spurs_finland/status/847121630581194754

Featured image: All rights reserved by Sam Meers