Tottenham: Who will replace Ivan Perisic after his ACL injury?

The Spurs star will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an injury in training.

Ivan Perisic has suffered a “complex anterior crucial ligament (ACL) injury”, according to a statement from Tottenham.

The versatile winger is expected to undergo surgery in the coming days as he starts his rehab process. It will be unlikely for Perisic to come back before the next summer, when his contract at Tottenham expires.

The veteran forward came close to leaving Tottenham last summer, but Ange Postecoglou reportedly insisted on keeping him.

“He does have a future with me and the club,” Postecoglou said at the time. “I’ve followed his career for a long time, he’s an absolute professional, the way he looks after himself, and he’s had a really strong pre-season.”

The Australian boss must now deal with an even more shallow squad depth in his attacking line. Let’s find out which players Tottenham have in their disposal for replacing Perisic.

Perisic replacements

Perisic has often been used as a substitute for Manor Solomon this season. The Croatia international came in the 80th minute of Tottenham’s dramatic comeback against Sheffield United last weekend and managed to provide an assist for Richarlison‘s equalizer.

Having an experienced star such as Perisic, who also specializes in sending precise crosses into the box, could’ve helped Richarlison in his quest to develop into a reliable No.9 for the Spurs.

However, both Solomon and Brennan Johnson can start for Tottenham down the left channel. Another option is Bryan Gil, who could play as a left wing-back.

Prisic’s injury also opens up an empty spot for an academy star to join the first team. Yago Santiago, who is one of Tottenham U21’s best players, might get a chance to train with the first team later in the campaign. The 20-year-old has registered four goals and one assist in his four appearances in EPL2 so far this season.