• Defender returned from 15-month lay-off in 1-0 defeat of Milan • Woodgate has scan on left leg and injury is being assessed

Jonathan Woodgate's injury jinx has struck again hours after he celebrated returning from a 15-month lay-off to play a crucial part in Tottenham Hotspur's 1-0 defeat of Milan in the Champions League.

The central defender came off the bench to make a 35-minute appearance in Spurs' Champions League victory in San Siro and the 31-year-old had said he was looking forward to getting back to his best.

But Spurs said yesterday evening that Woodgate had undergone a scan after sustaining a strain of the left adductor muscle. He will be assessed over the next few days, the club said.

Woodgate has been dogged by back and leg injuries since his days at Newcastle United and injury prevented him from making his debut for Real Madrid for the whole of the first season after he signed for the Spanish club.

He has made fewer than 50 appearances for Spurs since moving to White Hart Lane in January 2008 and he had been out of action since picking up a groin problem in a 9-1 win over Wigan in November 2009.

Woodgate was delighted after returning against Milan and said after Tuesday's game: "It was a great feeling to get back.There is nothing worse than when you can't play football. Watching games is painful when you're injured ... A lot of people doubted whether I'd be able to get back but you have to show determination to not let the bad times get you down and you have to just keep going."

Harry Redknapp said he had taken a chance replacing Vedran Corluka, who was injured in a two-footed challenge by Milan's Mathieu Flamini, with Woodgate. "He hasn't kicked a ball, he has had just one full game against a not very good QPR side," said the Tottenham manager.

"I just felt his experience would help us. It was a case of having someone in the right place at the right time and I thought he was good at that."