Tottenham opened their Europa League campaign with a 3-0 win against Qarabag despite playing more than 80 minutes with 10 men, as Son Heung-min gave the north Londoners an injury scare on Thursday.

Radu Dragusin's early dismissal was no obstacle for manager Ange Postecoglou's side, who cruised to victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thanks to goals from Brennan Johnson, Pape Sarr and Dominic Solanke.

However, the sight of South Korea forward Son being forced off in the 70th minute will be concerning for Postecoglou, who cannot afford to be without his talismanic captain for a long period.

"He said he was a bit tired but I haven't spoken to him or the medical staff yet," Postecoglou said.

With a healthy Son, the Europa League could offer a path to silverware for Postecoglou, who boasts that he always enjoys success in his second season as he seeks to end a Tottenham trophy drought dating back to 2008.

Sterner tests await Tottenham but they delivered a confident opener, once the game – delayed for 37 minutes after Qarabag were caught in heavy traffic – finally got underway.

"I wasn't happy as I felt we started really sloppy. It was almost like the delay got to us," Postecoglou said.

"The reaction after the red card was good," he added. "We kept pressing high." (AFP)