The Tottenham Hotspur manager, Harry Redknapp, may rest key
players for this week’s trip to Ukraine and will make a late
decision on whether Luka Modric will travel.
The Uefa Cup tie against Shakhtar Donetsk tomorrow starts a
period of four matches in 11 days, with the Carling Cup final
against Manchester United on 1 March being Redknapp’s priority –
and Spurs also have a Premier League match at Hull on Monday.
The Croatia midfielder Modric picked up a knock in training and
could be held back for the first leg of the last-32 tie at RSK
Olimpiyskiy, |but other available players are expected to travel
even if they do not |start. Robbie Keane, Roman Pavlyuchenko and
Vedran Corluka are cup-tied, with Jermain Defoe ineligible and
sidelined, while Ledley King and Jamie O’Hara are returning from
injury and will not travel.
“I wouldn’t play Ledley in the Uefa Cup even if he was fit,”
Redknapp said. “The Uefa Cup is not the most important of our
competitions. The game at Hull is far more important to me.”
Redknapp, who is expected to put youngsters such as Dean Parrett
and John Bostock on the bench, at least has options in midfield.
Wilson Palacios, Tom Huddlestone, Jermaine Jenas and Didier Zokora
are the central midfielders at Redknapp’s disposal, with the
manager assessing which players to keep fresh for Hull.
Darren Bent is likely to start in attack, less then a week after
he admitted he may have to assess his options if he cannot get
regular football.
“I’ve got a point to prove in that I want to show the gaffer
what I can |do and I want to be starting games,” Bent said.
“At the same time, I don’t think I’ve got anything to prove
because I’ve scored goals this season. I’m the top goalscorer at
this football club so I feel like I can just go out there and
relax. I don’t feel the pressure at all, I just go out there and
enjoy it.
“If you’re any player not playing games you’re not going to be
happy. But me and Harry get on fine. I’ve got no problem with Harry
and he’s got no problem with me, so I’ll just go out there and get
on with it.”
Portsmouth’s win at the weekend means Spurs dropped to 16th in
the table and playing on Monday means they could be back in the
bottom three before kick-off at the KC Stadium. The return leg for
the Shakhtar game is on the Thursday, followed by United at Wembley
on Sunday.
Bent added: “If we can go as far |as we can in the Uefa Cup,
start climbing the league and win the Carling Cup, all of a sudden
it will be a great season.”
Redknapp cannot choose Adel Taarabt or Ricardo Rocha for the
Uefa Cup as the pair were not registered by Tottenham’s former
coach Juande Ramos at the start of the season.
Taarabt, who grew up in France, would have been raring to go
after his international debut for Morocco last week.
Taarabt said: “I could have waited to play for France, but I
felt the time was right when I was given this opportunity and it
was a very proud moment for me with all my family watching.”