Tottenham Hotspur have announced that teenage attacker Wilson Odobert has undergone surgery on a hamstring injury and will be sidelined for an unspecified amount of time.
The former Burnley man has experienced a disrupted start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since moving from Turf Moor in a shock £30m deal during the summer transfer window.
Odobert has only made five appearances for Tottenham across all competitions totalling 180 minutes, and he suffered his first severe hamstring problem against Coventry City in the EFL Cup in September.
The 19-year-old briefly returned to action off the bench in a 1-0 Europa League win over AZ Alkmaar on October 24, but he immediately re-entered the treatment room after suffering a setback.
At the time, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou confirmed that his problem was a severe one, and Odobert posted an Instagram story from a hospital bed on Saturday, suggesting that he had gone under the knife.
Now, Tottenham have announced that the Frenchman has undergone an operation, posting on X: "We can confirm that Wilson Odobert underwent surgery to his right hamstring yesterday (Saturday 16th November). The 19-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by our medical team to determine when he can return to training."
How many games could Odobert miss through injury?
We can confirm that Wilson Odobert underwent surgery to his right hamstring yesterday (Saturday 16th November).
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 17, 2024
The 19-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by our medical team to determine when he can return to training. pic.twitter.com/vxAZdot4y3
While Spurs did not confirm how long Odobert will be missing for, the ex-Burnley man will certainly be absent for the remainder of the calendar year, and it may take a few months for him to get back up to full fitness.
The 19-year-old will therefore miss crunch Premier League clashes with Manchester City (November 23), Chelsea (December 8) and Liverpool (December 22) before the end of the year, as well as the EFL Cup quarter-final showdown with Manchester United on December 19.
The North London derby trip to Arsenal on January 15 should also come too soon for Odobert, and he will likely miss the remainder of Spurs' Europa League group-stage campaign, which concludes on January 30 against Elfsborg.
Depending on how severe Odobert's original hamstring problem was, the winger might be able to target a return around spring time, although Man City on February 25 should also be out of the question.
The teenager joins Micky van de Ven (hamstring) and Richarlison (hamstring) in the Tottenham treatment room, and the Lilywhites were handed a new concern over Cristian Romero during the international break.
Postecoglou's side lie 10th in the Premier League table ahead of the return of domestic football, taking a mediocre 16 points from their first 11 games of the 2024-25 campaign.
Ben Knapton
