Ben Davies was carried off on a stretcher in a crushing injury setback for Tottenham during their clash with West Ham.

Ben Davies was stretchered off in the first half of Tottenham Hotspur’s meeting with West Ham after picking up what looked to be a left-leg injury in a collision with Jarrod Bowen.

The 32-year-old was unable to continue and was replaced by Djed Spence, with the full extent of the problem still unclear. An update is expected from Thomas Frank after the match.

Davies, whose contract at Spurs expires at the end of the season, had only recently worked his way back into action following a long injury layoff. A hamstring problem sustained in October ruled him out of major fixtures against Aston Villa, Everton, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

He returned to the squad in late November, appearing on the bench during the 2-1 loss to Fulham, before making his first outing of the campaign with a short appearance in the Champions League. That came during the closing stages of a commanding 3-0 win over Slavia Praha. Days later, he again featured as a substitute in a heavy 3-0 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest.

A couple of weeks on, Davies earned his first start of the season — and only his second appearance overall — in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland. He opened the scoring on the half-hour, only for Brian Brobbey to equalise late on.

His performance earned him another start the following week, lining up at left-back in Tottenham’s 3-2 FA Cup third-round defeat to Aston Villa.

That appearance may prove to be Davies’ last for Spurs under Frank, whose own future remains uncertain. Speaking before the West Ham clash, the Dane outlined his approach to handling the pressure.

“It’s about getting the players out there confident, brave and playing forward,” Frank said. “We know it’s a big London derby with the rivalry and everything, but for me it’s about us.

“It’s about coming out with energy and positivity — building on the first half against Sunderland and the second half against Villa. If we do that, we’ll deliver a strong performance and give ourselves the best chance to win.”

Addressing the scrutiny around his position, Frank added: “I’m focused on what I can influence. There’s a lot of noise — I know that — but we want to build on what’s actually working.

“We have to stay calm, keep doing the right things and move forward. Football can be unpredictable, but if we keep making the right decisions and believing in what we’re doing, especially as we have over the last six games, the balance will turn in our favour.”