Dejan Kulusevski has undergone knee surgery and will not play in the Europa League final.
It is the latest blow to Tottenham who are already without creative midfielders James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall for the showdown with Manchester United in Bilbao on Wednesday.
Maddison and Bergvall will not play again this season and although Spurs have not specified a timeframe for Kulusevski’s absence his season is also most likely to be over.
The 25-year-old Sweden international was Tottenham’s best player by some distance during the first half of the season until February when a foot injury ruled him out for six weeks.
He has not recaptured the same form since and was selected to start against Palace, when most of the first team were rested, in the hope it might help him find his rhythm again.
Kulusevski lasted only 19 minutes before he had to be replaced and, although boss Ange Postecoglou said he was hopeful it was nothing more than a knock, it has turned out to be more serious.
Dejan Kulusevski will undergo surgery on an injury suffered during Spurs’ defeat by Palace
Spurs have not put a timeframe on Kulusevski’s absence but he is expected to miss the Europa League final
Maddison damaged knee ligament in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt and is expected to be out for three months. Bergvall injured an ankle in training on the eve of the same game.
This leaves Postecoglou short of specialist midfielders. Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are his senior options. Archie Gray, 19, will also come into the equation.