Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks admits the likely season-ending injury to Son Heung-min is a "massive blow".
Son faces between six and 12 weeks out of action after undergoing surgery on a fractured arm suffered in Sunday's 3-2 win at Aston Villa – an injury that did not stop him scoring two goals.
It leaves Spurs without a recognised striker for a crucial part of the campaign which could define their season and a player who has scored six goals in five games.
That starts with a Champions League last-16 first-leg clash with with RB Leipzig on Wednesday and Winks knows the South Korean will be a big miss.
"It's a massive blow for us. He's a top player and in such good form at the moment, especially coming off the back of the weekend," Winks said.
"He brings more than just his goals to the team, his work-rate, energy and experience. A massive loss for us, but we've got good enough players who can fill in and hopefully score us goals."
With Harry Kane also out injured Spurs are really up against it in their bid to get past Leipzig and finish in the top four of the Premier League.
Such hardships are not knew to this Spurs team, who reached the final of last season's Champions League by going through similar adversity.
Winks hopes this news can help galvanise the squad, saying: "It is important that we don't dwell on it, because it is not going to benefit us.
"We have had an up-and-down kind of season, at times things have gone against us, it's been like this for the last few years and we have always found ways to get results.
"I am sure tomorrow will be no different. The mentality of the squad is to always work and and do as well as we can to win and tomorrow will be no different."
