Keane adds to injury woes

Robbie Keane may miss the start of the season after becoming the latest

The Irish striker was carried off after 28 minutes of last night’s 2-0 defeat at Rangers and the signs are not promising.

Coach Jacques Santini said: “For this to have happened in the two weeks before the start of the championship is a serious problem for me and my coaches.

“The club need Robbie Keane for the first match against Liverpool on 14 August but now I do not know if he will be able to play. I think when the doctor sees him today he will confirm it is a serious injury.”

Santini is already without long-term injury victims Simon Davies (shin) and Stephen Kelly (ankle) for the season-opener, while Michael Brown has a knee
problem and Freddie Kanoute has not played in pre-season due to illness. Mauricio Taricco and Dean Richards also have minor complaints.

Spurs’ form has hardly been impressive under the former France coach. They have recorded only one win in seven pre-season matches and that came against non-league Stevenage.

Santini fielded his strongest available 11 for the first time at Ibrox. New
signings Paul Robinson, Sean Davis and Pedro Mendes all started along with Goran Bunjevcevic at left-back and John Jackson and Rohan Ricketts in midfield.

Anthony Gardner partnered Ledley King in defence with Jermain Defoe partnering Keane in attack.

Rangers took the lead by early on through Nacho Novo, who took advantage of a slip by Gardner to sprint clear and fire past Robinson. Then came Keane’s injury.

The striker immediately signalled to the bench after Marvin Andrews blocktackled his attempted shot. He was carried off with a stabilising brace strapped to his right leg.

New Rangers signing Dado Prso made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage-time.