Tottenham Hotspur have announced that South Korean attacker Son Heung-min sustained a facial fracture in Tuesday's Champions League win over Marseille and is set to undergo surgery.
The 30-year-old started alongside Harry Kane and Lucas Moura at the Orange Velodrome but was involved in a nasty clash with goalscorer Chancel Mbemba in the first half.
Son was able to walk off the field, albeit with some difficulty, as Spurs came back from 1-0 down to advance to the last 16 as Group D winners with a dramatic late 2-1 win.
After Son was withdrawn, Clement Lenglet headed home for Tottenham after Mbemba's opener before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg lashed home in the fourth minute of second-half injury time.
The South Korea international joined in with the dressing room celebrations after the game, and assistant coach Cristian Stellini provided a positive update on his condition.
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"We have to check Sonny tomorrow. We wait for the medical assessment... we have to check tomorrow," Stellini told Tottenham's media channels before adding a further update in his press conference.
"Sonny feels better now. I saw him in the dressing room. He celebrated with us. So, we will wait for tomorrow. It is his face. His eye is a bit swollen," Stellini added.
However, Tottenham's attacking injury crisis has now gone from bad to worse, as Son will need to go under the knife to correct the issue and is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Tottenham said in a statement on Wednesday evening: "We can confirm that Heung-Min Son will undergo surgery to stabilise a fracture around his left eye.
"The South Korea international suffered the injury during the first half of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League victory at Olympique Marseille. Following surgery, Son will commence rehabilitation with our medical staff and we shall update supporters further in due course."
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The North London club did not put a timeframe on Son's recovery, but the former Bayer Leverkusen man is now considered a serious doubt for the upcoming World Cup.
Son has endured a challenging start to the season under Antonio Conte, and he enters the treatment room with five goals and two assists under his belt from 19 matches.
Conte is now working around a selection crisis in attack, with Richarlison (calf) and Dejan Kulusevski (hamstring) also taking up spots in the infirmary for the past few weeks.
There is hope that Richarlison will be fit to play for Tottenham before the World Cup, but Kulusevski's issue is proving more problematic, and he is not guaranteed to return in the next couple of weeks.
With Son, Richarlison and Kulusevski out injured, Spanish starlet Bryan Gil will be vying for more opportunities in attack and will aim to make his first Premier League start for Spurs at home to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.
Ben Knapton
