Tottenham Hotspur are facing the prospect of playing Champions League football in front of crowds smaller than 30,000 at White Hart Lane next season as they seek to ensure that their new stadium is ready for the start of the 2018-19 campaign.

The Times has learnt that the club may have to remove as many as 8,000 seats — the majority from the Paxton Road Stand — to facilitate building work on the new site, which is adjacent to the ground that has been their home since 1899.

Tottenham are committed to moving out of White Hart Lane for the final year of the £400 million stadium development project. A ground-share at Wembley with Chelsea is their preferred option for the 2017-18 season rather than