Is a defender or midfielder needed to plug Vertonghen gap?

Jan Vertonghen has picked up a training ground ankle injury for Belgium that could rule him out for as long as four months.

It’s a big blow to Belgium and also for Spurs, who will be without the central defender for the opening weeks of the season.

Vertonghen was out injured last season, during which time his deputy Kevin Wimmer deputised and hardly put a foot wrong. Yet while Wimmer and Toby Alderweireld have proved that they make a very good partnership the problem is the lack of depth behind them.

With Vertonghen out, Tottenham only have the untried youngster Cameron Carter-Vickers and Eric Dier – who spent most of last season playing as a midfielder – as central defensive cover.

This was already an area of the squad that arguably needed attention. Do Spurs could go out and buy another central defender, such as the recently linked Ragnar Sigurdsson, but this might block the path of Carter-Vickers who is clearly rated highly by the club.

Could another midfielder provide the answer? This would allow Dier to drop back if needed and with Mousa Dembele suspended at the start of the season, it’s another area that some would like to see bolstered, despite the signing of Victor Wanyama.

Let us know your solution to this problem in the comments section below.