Toby Alderweireld feared he was "paralysed" after suffering a knee injury which kept him sidelined for nearly two months earlier this season.

The Belgian clashed with team-mate Jan Vertonghen during Tottenham's 1-1 draw with West Brom on October 15 and was stretchered from the field.

Alderweireld has revealed he lost feeling in his toes in the aftermatch and struggled to walk in the following days and weeks, leading him to worry over the long-term effects of the collision.

"In the knee, you've got a nerve that extends all the way down to your feet," he explained to Belgian publication Humo. "It got trapped through contact with Jan. It felt like I was paralysed, I could not even move my toes.

"Specialists told me to relax and I quickly got feeling back in my toes. I thought, 'it's okay' but I still could not walk after three days. That's when I began to worry.

"If after two weeks you still have no feeling in your leg, you start you wonder 'will it ever return'."

In Alderweireld's absence, Spurs went on a five-game winless streak which coincided with their elimination from the Champions League, triumphing in just two games in two months overall.

The centre-back's return to the starting line-up coincided with a 1-0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford, though the title challengers have not lost in 11 games since.

He continued: "When it was finally over, I played two games in quick succession [against United and Hull City]. Then something happened with my back, which was two days of pain, so I could not play the next game [against Burnley].

"Then, just before the match, I feel ill. I was cured a day later, but again I could not play [against Southampton]."