Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland is set to miss the Premier League encounter against Tottenham, according to a report.
The Times claims that the 24-year-old is likely to be out of action for around six weeks after breaking his finger whilst on international duty with the England national team.
The newspaper reports that the Stoke medical staff have assessed his injury and they fear that he could miss the upcoming festive fixtures.
The report claims that Butland will not feature in the Premier League matches against Brighton, Crystal Palace, Swansea City, Liverpool and Spurs.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side welcome the Potters to Wembley Stadium in the league on 9 Saturday.
The England international has been an important member of the Stoke first-team this season, playing every single minute in the Premier League and keeping two clean sheets in the process.
OPINION
Although the match is next month, this is already a massive boost for Spurs as Butland is one of the finest shot-stoppers in the country and Stoke will suffer from his absence. The Englishman endured a tough campaign last season where he only managed to make a total of five appearances due to injury problems. Spurs took advantage of his absence securing two 4-0 victories against Mark Hughes’ side and they will be looking to repeat last season’s feat as they look to push for the Premier League title. In fact, Butland has only faced Spurs on two occasions throughout his footballing career, conceding five goals in the process.