London, Feb 4 : Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin set to undergo surgery after injuring the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. The 23-year-old defender suffered the injury during the Europa League victory against Elfsborg last Thursday. He is expected to be out for at least six months.

Tottenham said Radu will be assessed by their medical team to determine when he can return to training.

The Romania international is a new entrant in the long injury list, which includes Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner, Wilson Odobert, Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke on the sidelines, while fellow defenders Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies have only recently returned to action.

Spur have endured a challenging start to the 2024-25 season, with 27 separate injuries affecting their squad. As a result, the team finds itself struggling in 14th place in the Premier League table, just four positions above the relegation zone.

Dragusin joined Tottenham from Genoa in a 25 million pounds deal last January. On Sunday, the club secured Austrian international Kevin Danso on loan for the remainder of the 2024-2025 season, with an option to make the transfer permanent for 21 million pounds.

Spurs' players have missed a combined 198 games through injuries this season. Guglielmo Vicario (19), Fraser Forster (4), Cristian Romero (19), Micky van de Ven (21), Radu Dragusin (1), Ben Davies (11), Destiny Udogie (9), Djed Spence (8), Rodrigo Bentancur (4), Yves Bissouma (4), Pape Matar Sarr (1), James Maddison (3), Son Heung-min (6), Timo Werner (8), Mikey Moore (14), Brennan Johnson (5), Wilson Odobert (30), Dominic Solanke (7), Richarlison (24).

The Spurs' downfall in the table, which included a run of seven league games without a win, has also seen fans question Ange Postecoglou and whether he is the right man to lead the club. However, reports indicate that the Australian is walking on slippery slopes at the club but still has Chairman Daniel Levy's backing for the time being.

/IANS