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Tottenham left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto is likely to be out for four weeks with a knee injury, manager Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed.

The Cameroon defender, a regular over the last four seasons, missed Sunday's 3-1 Premier League win at Reading.

Villas-Boas said after the game that the 28-year-old may need a minor operation to cure the problem.

"Benoit has a small fragment in his knee that makes it swell a lot," Villas-Boas said.

"He has played through pain in the last couple of games. His knee may have to be washed out and if that happens we are looking at a four-week absence."

Kyle Naughton, who usually operates at right-back, slotted in to Assou-Ekotto's position against Reading.

Villas-Boas also has the option of shifting Jan Vertonghen to left-back, where he has played numerous times for Belgium.