Jan Vertonghen's hamstring injury will keep him out until December, Tottenham have confirmed.
The left-sided defender joined Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen on the sidelines when he was forced off at half-time of the 2-0 win at Huddersfield Town at the end of September.
Belgium boss Roberto Martinez last week drew criticism from Mauricio Pochettino for revealing Vertonghen was likely to miss November's Nations League matches.
The club's updated timeframe now rules the 31-year-old out of key Premier League fixtures against Manchester City and Chelsea, while his involvement in the derby with Arsenal on December 1 is also in doubt.
"Jan Vertonghen sustained a hamstring injury against Huddersfield Town on 29 September, which has been monitored closely over the past 12 days," read a Tottenham statement.
"Further investigation has shown a good initial response to rehabilitation.
"The Belgium international defender will now continue his recovery with a view to returning to full training by December."
Vertonghen was an integral part of Belgium's run to the World Cup semi-finals and started each of Spurs' first seven Premier League fixtures this season.
An injury update on October 11, 2018
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