Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed defender Eric Dier will miss the final day of the season against Leeds United.
The north London side revealed on their official website the England international has undergone surgery on a groin problem and will therefore be unavailable for selection.
Dier has been a regular at the heart of Spurs’ defence this season, making 33 Premier League appearances, 31 of which have come from the start.
That is not saying much for Dier, however, with Spurs possessing one of the worst defensive records in the division this term having shipped 62 goals, despite former boss Antonio Conte regarding him as a ‘top defender’ back in September.
Only the bottom three sides, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth have conceded more, but Dier’s absence does leave their centre back options a little stretched going into Sunday, with Cristian Romero also a doubt having missed last week’s defeat to Brentford.
Dier to miss final day showdown
Leeds are left needing a miracle to secure their Premier League status and nothing less than a win will do to even give themselves half a chance.
Should they pick up three points, Leeds will require favours from both Bournemouth and West Ham at Everton and Leicester City respectively in order to beat the drop.
Sam Allardyce’s side looked resigned to their fate following last weekend’s defeat at West Ham but there is an opportunity for a win here based on Spurs’ recent form.
The visitors have not won on the road since January and have endured a dismal second half of the campaign which could leave them without any European football at all next season.
Under Ryan Mason, Spurs have won just once in five matches, which was a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Crystal Palace.
It is unknown what type of Spurs team will turn up at Elland Road but if Leeds cannot get up for a game like this, then relegation is deserved.