Tottenham Hotspur star Ben Davies is at risk of missing the north London derby against Arsenal but his injury is not 'as serious as it sounds', according to The Sun journalist Tom Barclay.

Spurs are set to make the short trip to the Emirates Stadium on October 1 and sit just one point adrift of their table-topping arch-rivals, but they may be without Davies for the Premier League clash.

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What's the latest news involving Davies?

Although Davies would have been hoping to add to his 74 Wales caps during the current international break, an injury has ruled him out of contention.

According to football.london, the 29-year-old is facing a short period on the sidelines after sustaining a hairline fracture to the bone just underneath his knee.

The report suggests Davies, who has been on Tottenham's books since joining from Swansea City in 2014, picked up the problem during Spurs' Champions League group stage defeat to Sporting earlier this month and is now at risk of missing the north London derby against Arsenal.

Head coach Antonio Conte has insisted the defender's injury is not serious, while Wales boss Rob Page has no fears that he will miss the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.

Davies has made seven appearances since the season got underway last month and also provided an assist during the draw with Chelsea.

What has Tom Barclay said about Davies?

Barclay understands Davies has sustained a hairline fracture and, while that may sound severe, he feels it is not a serious injury.

The journalist has refused to rule out the possibility of the Welshman being available for the north London derby against Arsenal.

Barclay told GIVEMESPORT: "Ben Davies has a knee injury which he picked up, I think, in the game against Sporting because he went down injured and they sort of suggested it was in that game but he played the rest of it.

"I'm led to believe there's a hairline fracture on the bone underneath his knee, which sounds pretty bad, but I don't think it's actually as serious as it sounds by any stretch."

Would it be a blow if Davies fails to recover in time for the north London derby?

Davies has been a key player for Tottenham over the years, having made 278 appearances, and will be sorely missed if he is unable to compete in the clash with Arsenal when domestic football returns.

He has been a favourite of Conte's since his appointment as Spurs' head coach last November and been handed 42 outings by the Italian.

Conte has previously described Davies as 'reliable' and 'important', so it is clear his unavailability would be a concern against Tottenham's arch-rivals.