Tottenham are strong enough to cope without injured Harry Kane, insists Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka

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Sam Long23 September 2016

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanaka believes Tottenham are strong enough to cope without injured striker Harry Kane.

Kane injured his ankle ligaments last weekend and is set for an extended period on the sidelines, although Spurs have been reluctant to put a timeframe on his return.

With the 23-year-old definitely unavailable for Tottenham's trip to the Riverside Stadium it has been suggested this weekend could be a good time for Boro to face Mauricio Pochettino's side.

But Karanka is adamant his old friend Pochettino has plenty of options at his disposal and will not be significantly weaker without the services of Kane, who was Tottenham's top scorer for the last two seasons.

"I think we would miss Alvaro [Negredo] more than they will miss Harry Kane," Karanka told his pre-match press conference.

"They have really good players and much more players to play. They have an amazing squad.

"Mauricio will put in another player - maybe not as good as Harry Kane - but the player who plays will be very motivated because he has his chance," he added.

Vincent Janssen is expected to lead Tottenham's line in Kane's absence after opening his account in a midweek victory over Gillingham in the EFL Cup.

The 22-year-old is yet to get up to full speed following a summer move from AZ Alkmaar but is adamant he is capable of stepping up to the plate during Kane's absence.

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