Jan Vertonghen has admitted that Victor Wanyama's absence from the Tottenham Hotspur team has been felt but insists that the Lilywhites must learn to cope with missing players.
The Kenya international suffered a knee injury in August and had hoped to return by November but is likely to be sidelined until the New Year.
Although Spurs have coped well without Wanyama for the majority of the season, they have slumped in recent weeks, claiming just one point from their last three matches.
"Victor was immense for us last season, it was his first season with us and he was great in his partnership with Eric Dier or Mousa Dembele, or Harry Winks, or whoever played next to him," Vertonghen told Sky Sports News.
"He is just a great player, but we have other options and we cannot stick to one or two players, we had a couple of injuries, but we must cope with that. Last season we missed so many important players as well and we dealt with it. And that is what we need to do this season."
Wanyama joined Spurs from Southampton in 2016 and has made 49 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino's side in all competitions.
Giuseppe Labellarte
