Tottenham's Dier ruled out until 2019 after having appendix removed

Soccer Football - Premier League - Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - December 8, 2018 Tottenham's Eric Dier warms up before the match Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes

(Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier will miss the their festive fixtures after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix, the Premier League club said on Sunday.

Dier, who was an unused substitute in Tuesday's Champions League clash against Barcelona, missed Spurs' 1-0 league victory over Burnley on Saturday, with what was initially described as a "virus" by manager Mauricio Pochettino.