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The sight of Micky van de Van falling to the floor off the ball and clutching his right hamstring this week was one that no Tottenham supporter wanted to see.
The 22-year-old Dutchman has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League since arriving in north London from Wolfsburg this summer. His pace and ability on the ball has seen him slot perfectly into Ange Postecoglou's Spurs team and he has been a crucial part of a defence that has shone under the Australian.
Then on Monday night, in added time at the end of the first half against Chelsea, Van de Ven pulled up and fell to the floor while screaming in agony before having to be helped off the pitch. He left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on crutches.
Here's a look at exactly what it could mean for the youth Netherlands international.
What is a hamstring?
The NHS tells you that the hamstrings are tendons at the back of the thighs that attach the large thigh muscle to the bone. The term also refers to the group of three muscles that run along the back of your thigh, from your hip to just below your knee.
For those who got their hopes up after seeing Van de Ven at the training centre in photos this week walking around, it's worth noting that the hamstring muscles are not used much while standing or walking, but they're active during activities that involve bending the knee, such as running, jumping and climbing.
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What are the different types of hamstring injuries?
There are three different types of hamstring injury. They are: Grade one – a mild muscle pull or strain. Grade two – a partial muscle tear. Grade three – a complete muscle tear.
Will he need surgery?
football.london understands that Spurs believe that after initial observations this week surgery will not be required and the defender will be able to recover through treatment with the club's medical staff at Hotspur Way.
Postecoglou will be hoping that means less of a lay-off for Van de Ven than for other Tottenham players in recent years. Harry Kane, Toby Alderweireld and more recently Ryan Sessegnon have all required surgery on hamstring injuries and were then out of action for a long period of time, Kane and Sessegnon in particular.
What's the worst case scenario?
Medical experts have told football.london that the worst case scenario for a hamstring that does not require surgery is around 12 weeks of recovery time, and that even grade three complete muscle tears - if Van de Ven was to have such a severe hamstring injury - sometimes do not require an operation.
Much depends on how big the gap is between the tendon and the muscle where it was ruptured.
Has Van de Ven had hamstring injuries before?
Yes. Van de Ven did suffer a hamstring injury in February in Germany last year which kept him out for two-and-a-half months and he missed 12 matches for Wolfsburg and Tottenham will be hoping this is not a similar story.
When will we know how long he is out for?
As often is the case in these scenarios, there is the need for the swelling and physical trauma of an injury to subside before various scans can take place and more precise assessments made.
Postecoglou should be able to provide some sort of update at his press conference on Friday afternoon at Hotspur Way.
His initial thoughts after the incident were not positive, saying: "It's too early but looking at Micky you're thinking it's a pretty significant one so you'd assume he'll be out for a little while."
Everyone at Tottenham will be hoping that the Dutch speedster is back sooner than feared and that there will not be concerns in the future about his hamstrings.
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