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Tottenham: Maw gives verdict on ‘nightmare’ Lloris injury
The Athletic’s James Maw has proposed the possibility that Hugo Lloris may have played his last game for Tottenham Hotspur following his recent injury.
The Lowdown: Injury blow
Lloris has been ruled out for ‘at least’ six to eight weeks following sustained ligament damage in their Premier League clash against Manchester City last weekend.
The injury leaves Antonio Conte with three keepers available in his squad, Fraser Forster, Alfie Whiteman and Brandon Austin are all eligible to play.
Since the start of 2023, the French stopper has hit a run of low confidence, making a number of mistakes in recent times.
The Latest: Lloris’ last game?
Should the injury to the Tottenham number one take longer than the estimated timescale, Maw believes he might have played his last game for the club when talking to The View From The Lane Podcast.
He stated (2:48), “When this first broke, that was my first thought [has Lloris played his last game], that it’s not inconceivable that that is the case.
“It’s such a shame that this has come at this moment because it kind of felt like Spurs had got over the hump of a very difficult winter.
“They get two new players in, three wins on the bounce, three clean sheets and it comes suddenly feels like there’s real momentum again and we’re looking ahead to the rest of the season with such optimism.
“And then your captain, your most experienced player, a World Cup winner is out of the team, for let’s say at least half of the rest of the season, probably it’s a bit of a nightmare isn’t it?”
The Verdict: Far from over
We believe that even if Lloris were to miss the remainder of the season, he won’t have played his last game in a Spurs shirt.
The 36-year-old’s deal runs out in the summer of 2024, which would give him until the end of next season before his stint with Tottenham ends.
Spurs have been linked with David Raya of Brentford last month as a potential replacement for Lloris.
If the club were to land a new keeper in the summer, our view is it would be good to keep the Frenchman around as he could help a future number one learn and develop by offering tips with his enormous experience.
He may have hit a bit of a rough patch but he’s been a long-standing servant for Tottenham and would be a great figure to keep around the dressing room in our view.
