Assistant manager Cristian Stellini has confirmed Tottenham Hotspur are set to be without captain Hugo Lloris for 'five to seven weeks'.
The Frenchman sustained damage to his knee ligaments during Spurs' 1-0 victory over Manchester City, and is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines - he will not undergo surgery, however.
The 36-year-old is likely to miss both legs of Tottenham's Round of 16 clash against AC Milan as well as Premier League games against Leicester, West Ham, Chelsea, Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Southampton.
Stellini is disappointed to lose such a prominent figure, but has confidence in backup goalkeeper Fraser Foster to fill the void.
"We are all disappointed about Hugo, however we have a good experienced goalkeeper like Fraser Foster," he said.
"He has great experience in the Premier League and Champions League, so we have a tough five weeks in front of us, but we trust in Fraser, we are happy with him in the squad. We say to Hugo 'see you soon'. He needs a good recovery. He needs maybe between five and seven weeks to be back with us.
Lloris this season has made four errors leading to goals - more than any other player. He admitted in an interview he is struggling to recover from the heartbreak of the World Cup Final, saying he is 'missing mental freshness'.
Stellini dismissed suggestions Spurs would be better off without their captain, but suggested that some time away from football could be beneficial to 'recover mentally'.
He said: "It is always better to have Hugo with us. All the keepers make some mistakes sometimes and it's not good to have an injury. We prefer to have Hugo with us. He could use this time to recover mentally. Hugo played the last games very well so it was a good moment from him."
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On Conte's return
Stellini delivered an update on Antonio Conte's health and said he returned to Hotspur Way today in high spirits after undergoing gallbladder surgery.
Last Wednesday, Spurs announced that Conte required an operation after experiencing severe abdominal pain.
When asked about Conte's return, Stellini revealed everyone is delighted to have him back and Conte took the time to emotionally embrace every player and member of staff upon his return.
"Antonio is back. This morning he was on the pitch with us. He has to take it easy for a bit. We were so happy to meet him again on the training ground. He spent time hugging everyone.
"We didn't speak about what he would do in the next match, but he is back and we are happy for that. We have time to arrive in the game happy."
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On the importance of the Man City win
Stellini insisted that Tottenham's 1-0 victory over Man City could be a catalyst for the rest of the season.
Harry Kane scored the winner to become the club's all-time record goalscorer, overtaking icon Jimmy Greaves with his 267th goal for the club in all competitions.
The three points ensured that Spurs were within touching distance of fourth place, sitting one point behind Newcastle.
The Italian urged his side to maintain their intensity and use the win as a platform to build on.
"Yes there are sometimes games like this and we spoke before the last game that if we reach and win this type of game, you can create good momentum in the season but to do this you have to win the next and the next game.
"To do this you have to work well, to be well prepared, play with humility and don't lose this aspect. What changed in our mind in the last period is the way we approach the game. We have to continue in this way but to do that we have to look at ourselves and understand why we change in this way. This is the most important.
"We knew very well the way that City used to play, to keep possession , to do many passes and we expect this type of game. We were aggressive in the first game in their stadium, we were so aggressive and we prepared the game to be aggressive again.
"City surprised us a bit at the start by using Bernardo Silva in between the lines like a number 10 but we adapt immediately our pressure and our behaviour.
"The most important thing is to play with humility, be ready to suffer and to be active in the game. This was the best thing we show in this game. Many times we push them back with the ball and to not concede line breaks. We reach our target and we won the game being aggressive. This was very important.
Stellini admitted that he largely stuck to Conte's blueprint and made minimal adjustments to their usual tactical gameplan.
"Our tactics came from the job that Antonio did for a long time. For me it was easy to continue to work in the same way. You can change something and we change something. Me and Ryan Mason spoke immediately during the game and we had to change something. We use Eric Dier to be aggressive on Bernardo Silva.
"This was tactically the only aspect we change but normally we work, continue and follow what Antonio did. The last week was tough but we work well, we work very well.
"I enjoyed it a lot [being the manager] and we took a lot more responsibility, but it's a job we do with passion and the experience to live as a manager with this passion was good for me, but also for all the staff."
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On Cristian Romero's aggressiveness
Cristian Romero is suspended for the weekend after being shown a red card against City. The Argentine was booked for clattering Erling Haaland before bringing down Jack Grealish outside the box, confirming his dismissal.
Romero had been on thin ice after receiving four yellow cards in his last five outings.
Stellini warned Romero that he needs the find the right balance between aggressive tackling and reckless tackling.
"To not receive a yellow card you have to arrive at the ball and use your tackle at the right time. So we can work on the timing. He has to jump and tackle and try and win the ball. We will work on this aspect but keeping the same aggressiveness."
Romero's unavailability could enable Pedro Porro to make his debut if Conte and Stellini decide to shuffle the backline. Stellini is an admirer of the Portuguese wing-back and could hand him his debut on Saturday.
"He can bring very good skill, he can bring experience. He's a young player but with great experience. Technically he is a fantastic player. His enthusiasm to play in a new league, in a new team, could be a boost for us when we decide to use him."