• Premier League

Spurs winger Lamela facing further six weeks out

Erik Lamela's disastrous season has gone from bad to worse with the news that Tottenham will be without him for another six weeks because of a back injury.

Lamela, 21, was one of Spurs' marquee signings last summer as the club parted with £30 million to lure him from Roma.

However, the Argentina winger has endured a nightmare debut campaign at White Hart Lane, featuring little under former manager Andre Villas-Boas and struggling with injuries since Tim Sherwood took the reins in December.

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Lamela last featured in the Premier League against Stoke on December 29 but is now unlikely to be seen again for Spurs until the end of March after hurting his back while trying to recover from a thigh injury.

"Lamela had a thigh strain and he was over-compensating for that, so now he has got a problem in his back, which we are assessing and we are not too confident," Sherwood said. "It will be weeks.

"It is difficult to adapt to a different country, a different league and a different language but, when you are suffering all these niggles and something more than minor at the moment, it is disappointing for the lad.

"But we signed him for the long term and we are sure that, in the end, he will come good for Tottenham and be a crowd favourite here. We are all big fans of him when we see him in training. It is just difficult to adjust to a different style of play and a different language. I'm sure Erik will pick it up. By the time he is fit, he will be fluent."

The former River Plate man had hoped to move in January with his spot in Argentina's World Cup squad in jeopardy. But Spurs were unwilling to let Lamela, who has scored just one goal so far for the club in a Europa League victory over FC Sheriff in November, leave the club on loan.

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