The 26-year-old England international striker, who missed two trophy victories last season, will undergo surgery to repair the problem, meaning he will miss the Carling Cup final against Manchester United at the start of next month.

"Following further scans and examination, Jermain Defoe will undergo surgery tomorrow after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot," read a statement from Spurs.

"Early detection has allowed the club to opt for the best long-term treatment."

Defoe picked up the injury, to his fifth metatarsal, during an indoor training session shortly after rejoining Spurs after almost a year at Portsmouth.

During that time, the former West Ham striker missed out on Spurs' Carling Cup victory as he had just moved to Fratton Park, and then missed Pompey's FA Cup win as he was cup-tied.

Robbie Keane, another player who has rejoined Spurs during the transfer window, is also cup-tied for the game against United on March 1.

Keane was an 87th-minute substitute in Liverpool's 2-1 home win over Crewe in the third round of the competition in September.