Tottenham's Giovani Lo Celso out Until Late October After Suffering Hip Injury

Giovani Lo Celso's start to life with Tottenham Hotspur has been disrupted after the Premier League club confirmed the midfielder will miss time with a hip injury.

Spurs confirmed how Lo Celso, on loan from La Liga side Real Betis, suffered the problem during Argentina's 0-0 draw with Chile on Thursday, per the team's official website: "He will now undergo a period of rehabilitation and is expected to return to training with the first team towards the end of October."

Lo Celso's injury continues the pattern of Spurs being forced to wait on new signings to get fit and contribute:

It means Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is forced to rely on a familiar cast of characters, including playmaker Christian Eriksen, who wanted to leave the club this summer.

A lengthy spell on the treatment table means Lo Celso will miss key games across three different competitions. He won't be available for upcoming league fixtures against Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion and Watford.

Pochettino will hope to have his countryman available for the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on October 27. 

Before then, Lo Celso will also miss the Carabao Cup third-round tie away to Colchester United, which was an ideal opportunity for Lo Celso to get some valuable minutes.

Getting the 23-year-old up to speed would have offered Spurs a boost for the Group B campaign in the UEFA Champions League. Tottenham face some tricky matches in the group, not least a double-header against Bayern Munich, with the Bundesliga giants visiting north London on October 1.

Acquiring Lo Celso was supposed to give Spurs some extra class in midfield, but a delayed start to pre-season following his involvement in the Copa America with Argentina in the summer has led to him making just three substitute appearances since joining the Lilywhites.

Pochettino described Lo Celso as "so far away from what we expect from him" in terms of fitness in August, and having to wait until deadline day to join the club after a protracted transfer saga likely didn't help matters.

Lo Celso scored 14 goals and provided five assists in La Liga and UEFA Europa League duty for Betis last season, which is the sort of potential production Spurs will now be missing.

Spurs have suffered a number of injuries in midfield to start the season. Lo Celso's fellow new signing Tanguy Ndombele has missed the last two games with a thigh injury, while Dele Alli only made his season debut as a substitute against Arsenal on September 1 after a hamstring injury.

Lo Celso could have eased the burden on Alli, but instead Spurs will likely have to rely on the Englishman hitting form in his return from injury.