Southampton’s unenviable task of getting a successful result from Sunday’s trip to White Hart Lane may have just got a little easier, with hosts Tottenham set to be without main man Harry Kane for the encounter.

The Premier League’s joint-leading scorer sustained an ankle injury against Millwall in the FA Cup last Sunday, and now will almost certainly not feature against the Saints.

Perfect timing

When Kane went down in great pain just a few minutes into the cup tie, even the most virtuous of Southampton fans would surely admit to being delighted at what they saw. Of course, it is never nice to watch anyone get injured, but a Spurs side without Harry Kane seems a lot less menacing.

After a slightly sluggish start to the season by his high standards, which was disrupted by another ankle injury, Kane had been unstoppable in recent weeks, netting eight times in his previous four games before limping off on Sunday.  

Kane had been in fine form prior to his injury. Photo: Getty.

The 23-year-old also enjoys playing against the Saints, scoring against them in each of the last two seasons and, as the league's joint-top scorer with an impressive nineteen, would have expected to continue that streak this weekend. 

Different game

With the red-hot Kane no longer at manager Mauricio Pochettino's disposal, Southampton now have a real opportunity to get a point or even three at second-placed Tottenham. While Spurs will still be the clear favourites even without their star striker, the visitors' vulnerable defence will now not be as rigorously tested.

The Saints defence has looked shaky in recent games. Photo: Getty.

Moreover, during Spurs' seven-game run without a win in October and November, the Englishman was injured for the six of those matches, further emphasising his value to his side. 

Whichever way one looks at it, Southampton suddenly have a fantastic chance to enjoy a very positive afternoon in North London. 

The final push

With just twelve games to go in the campaign, the Saints are very much into the closing stages of their season. Yet despite sitting comfortably in tenth place, right in the middle of the pack, they still have plenty to play for, and an unlikely win on Sunday could rejuvenate their season. 

Despite many impressive performances, Claude Puel's team are still missing a league victory over one of the traditionally big teams but, with Kane out of the picture, could resolve that issue on Sunday, and keep their faint hopes of European qualification alive.

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