Jan Vertonghen faces a race to be fit for the new season after a scan on the Tottenham Hotspur defender revealed he has sprained ankle ligaments after slipping in Wednesday's 3-1 defeat by Sunderland in the Premier League Asia Trophy semi-final at the Hong Kong Stadium.

If the Belgian does not recover in time, the absence of a key defender will represent a sizeable blow, with manager Andre Villas-Boas aiming to guide Spurs to a Champions League place.

The heavy storm that hit before the game led to fears it would be called off but a decision was made to reduce both halves to 40 minutes. Vertonghen, on as a substitute, turned awkwardly on the sodden surface and could not continue. The result of the scan ruled him out of Saturday's third-place play-off game.
Guardian Service