Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane has been told he's likely to miss Euro 2020 by one of the UK's top surgeons. 

That's absolutely devastating news for the Three Lions and manager Gareth Southgate, who will now have a very tough call to make when he announces his squad.

Although Spurs fans were hoping their star man would be back from his torn hamstring in April, leading surgeon Dr Chris Wilson expects Kane's layoff to be closer to six months. 

"I would expect it to be six months before he could return to action," he told the Press Association. 

"There is a big range of opinion because it is such an uncommon procedure and some surgeons may say quicker.

"If the repair was good and sound, the first six weeks he will be nursing the repair and doing very little. Six to 12 weeks, providing everything was OK, he will be doing basic strengthening exercises.

"If it was me I would say aim for getting fit for pre-season training."

Dr Wilson also explained what Kane's recovery will likely involve. 

"At three months you would start a normal hamstring rehabilitation that you would do if you got a tear in the middle of the muscle," he continued.

"If I was talking to a top-level footballer I would want to manage their expectations and say I wouldn't anticipate them being fit and playing normally in a game for six months following the surgery.

"I am aware in Harry Kane's case they have been saying April or May - I have to say I would be very surprised."

Interestingly, Dr Wilson has conducted operations similar to Kane's many times, and he believes an early return is simply 'not possible'. 

That's certainly bad news for England fans. There's a huge question mark over Kane's involvement at Euro 2020.

Without him, the Three Lions not only lose one of the best strikers in the world but their captain and a senior dressing room figure. 

Any other year, that would be disastrous.

But, with the likes of Tammy Abraham, Danny Ings, Mason Greenwood and even the internationally-retired Jamie Vardy as options for next summer, Southgate might not be sweating too much.