Tottenham Hotspur’s defensive problems have worsened with the news that Gareth Bale will be out for about three months. The left-sided player will have an exploratory operation to determine the extent of the sprain to a ligament in his right foot suffered during the defeat by Birmingham City this month. “Even if the examination reveals that his foot is stable, the decision has been taken to bring him back slowly to ensure he does not get a repeat of the injury or suffers any further damage,” Damien Comolli, the Tottenham sporting director, said.

The 18-year-old Wales player had already missed about a month of the season because of another foot injury, suffered against Newcastle United in October. With Benoît Assou-Ekotto out for the rest of the campaign with a knee problem, Lee Young Pyo is Tottenham’s only recognised left back, while the club’s longstanding shortage of cover on the left side of midfield has yet to be addressed.

Only four Barclays Premier League clubs have conceded more goals than Tottenham this season and Ledley King, Ricardo Rocha and Anthony Gardner are still missing at the back. Tottenham are also without the suspended Robbie Keane for their next two matches, but Juande Ramos, the head coach, has given no indication that Jermain Defoe has made himself a certain starter, despite the striker coming off the substitutes’ bench on Sunday to score the winner against Manchester City.

“It has been a difficult time,” Defoe said. “I haven’t had that much luck and I am delighted I got the winner. I have always said, if I get my opportunity, I will just try my best. I do believe that if I play and get some kind of rhythm, I will score goals.”

Defoe has made only one league start and 11 substitute appearances this season, yet he appears willing to sign a new contract at Tottenham. “My agent is sorting it out,” he said. Defoe accepts that Premier League football is a squad game and that he has to earn a place by taking whatever chances come his way — as he failed to do when his late penalty was saved in the recent 1-1 draw away to West Ham United. “I just want to help the team,” he said. “They are a great bunch of lads. They all mix. I am no different to anyone else. I just want to play and get a rhythm and try and get goals like some of the other strikers.

“Robbie was suspended, but I didn’t play [from the start]. I was disappointed, but at the end of the day I didn’t show it, which is the most important thing. I am not that sort of person. But it doesn’t matter who scores. If I score, I go into the dressing-room and everyone is happy for me. Benty [Darren Bent] came up to me, Berba [Dimitar Berbatov], everyone. We are all in this together.”

Tottenham had to persevere in a match in which they benefited from an outrageous piece of fortune when Pascal Chimbonda knocked in the opening goal with an arm from an offside position. City came back to equalise, but Tottenham recovered with Defoe’s goal seven minutes from time.

“It shows the character of the boys,” he said. “When the pressure is there, for some reason, we seem to thrive on it and perform. The first half was a bit scrappy, but at times we passed really well. Everyone played well, tried their best and I think we deserved to win. We got the luck today [with the first goal] and that is what we have not had for a number of weeks.”

Even if Ramos will not promise him any more starts, Defoe believes that the new head coach can take the club forward. “He has good ideas, I really enjoy training,” he said. “The intensity is really good and it showed today. When we break it is really quick and the players we have got are quick and sharp. He is really clever. You saw that at Seville. I watch a lot of Spanish football and the pace and the way they played, I think he is trying to do the same thing here. I am sure that we will have a big second half of the season and finish strong.”