Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli looks certain to miss the start of the Premier League season after a hamstring injury ruled him out of his side’s penalty shootout defeat by Inter Milan in their final pre-season friendly on Sunday.

Lucas Moura fired Totteham ahead with two minutes on the clock after good work by Erik Lamela but Antonio Conte’s Inter levelled before the break when Ivan Perisic released Stefano Sensi to beat Hugo Lloris from close range.

The main talking point was news of Alli’s injury which will further deplete Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino’s resources heading into the start of the campaign.

“I don’t think he will be ready for the new season,” said Pochettino. It is the same area. Of course we are worried,” he said of the 23-year-old’s latest hamstring injury after twice being sidelined in similar circumstances last season.

“He has to pay attention to what is going on in his body, but we are here to try to help him. “We think it’s a minor injury and only a few weeks before he can be available again and be with the group.”

Tottenham were also without injured defenders Ben Davies (groin) and Serge Aurier (hand) and Juan Foyth (ankle). Foyth is also suspended for the start of the season as is forward Son Heung-min after they were both red-carded in the penultimate game of last season.

Tottenham begin their season at home to Aston Villa next Saturday. Fuelled by the pain of last season’s Champions League final defeat against Liverpool, Tottenham manager Pochettino has vowed to take his team to the next level as they bid to win a major trophy for the first time since 2008.

Pochettino was so devastated by his team’s failure to win the Champions League for the first time that he hid away in his Barcelona home for 10 days before finally resurfacing to begin what he hopes will be an ambitious new era for his club.

Agencies