Pochettino fearing the worst after Vertonghen injury

Tottenham fear Jan Vertonghen is facing a long spell on the sidelines after the defender suffered what looked like a serious injury in the 4-0 win against West Brom.

Vertonghen was in clear distress as he was helped from the pitch after hurting his ankle and will have a scan to determine the extent of the injury.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino admitted after the game that the early signs are not good.

“It looks very bad. We hope it looks bad but isn’t bad in the way that we believe,” Pochettino told reporters.

“We’ll wait until Sunday or Monday to assess it better, but it looks bad and I’m very disappointed about that.

“It is very tough for the player but we have a good morale around the club and the training ground, and we will ensure we will help him a lot to try to recover as soon as possible and be ready to be selected again.

“It was bad luck the way he twisted his ankle. It was tough for him and he’s very sad in the changing room, but we are here to help him.”

Vertonghen’s injury spoilt an otherwise excellent day for Tottenham, who were superb.

Harry Kane scored a hat-trick and Pochettino ranked his team’s display as among their best since he took over.

“It was one of the best. The first half was amazing – wonderful football, the way we were energetic and found the space,” he said.

“How we killed the game was fantastic. We showed that we are ready to compete and this pleases me a lot.

“We are in a good position. Now to keep this level is important for us. It was a game to feel proud.”