Tottenham fear Jermain Defoe needs to go under the knife to fix a pelvic problem.

The Daily Mail says Defoe has been playing with discomfort for some time and after a blistering start to the season his form has suffered with only one goal in his last eight games.

The Spurs and England striker was not expected to be fit for the Barclays Premier League game against Manchester United last week but was patched up and played 90 minutes, his 34th appearance of the season, because Emmanuel Adebayor was on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Defoe has had an injection in the hope of being fit for Wednesday's fixture at Norwich but the fear at Tottenham is that it nags away or worsens and requires an operation.