Tottenham confirm Skipp will not return this season after undergoing surgery

Tottenham have announced that midfielder Oliver Skipp has undergone surgery on his groin and will play no further part in their Premier League top-four battle this season.

The 21-year-old featured regularly for Spurs prior to sustaining an injury in January that has kept him out of action ever since.

Skipp's form saw him tipped with a first senior England cap and rewarded with a new long-term deal by Tottenham last week that runs through until July 2027.

Antonio Conte recently revealed that the youngster was "very close" to returning to action, but his comeback has been delayed after it was decided he required an operation.

Spurs confirmed the news of their official website on Tuesday, adding that Skipp is expected to be back training for the pre-season period.

Skipp's most recent appearance for Tottenham came in the 2-0 loss to Chelsea on January 23, with that his 18th Premier League outing of the campaign.

Up to that point, only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Eric Dier, Harry Kane and Lucas Moura (all 19) had featured more regularly in the competition among Spurs' outfield players.

The England Under-21 international's 90 per cent pass accuracy is the highest of any Tottenham player to have played more than once in the top flight this campaign.

Conte's side are two points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who they still have to face, with five league games left to play.