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West Ham United play, Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at Upton Park on Monday.
Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola was starting to come under pressure at Upton Park in his first managerial job. However, a spirited 0-0 draw against Liverpool on Monday night at Anfield, which was on the back of a 1-0 win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light has turned things around for West Ham, who had not won in their previous seven Premier League games. West Ham, are just three points above Tottenham and with things so tight in the Premiership this season, will hope to collect all three points against their London rivals.
Spurs lost at White Hart Lane last week to Everton, which was the first loss at home under Harry Redknapp, having won all their other matches on their own patch since the former Portsmouth boss took over from Juande Ramos. However, despite having a good run of form before the defeat to the Toffees, Spurs are just out of the relegation spots on goal difference in 16th place in the Premier League. However, Tottenham did make it through to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup on Wednesday, when they beat Championship side Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road. Roman Pavlyuchenko and Darren Bent bagged one apiece to send the North London club through, with Redknapp hoping for more of the same to fire Spurs up the table.
Zola is unable to call on Kieron Dyer (broken leg), Jonathan Spector (Thigh), Daniel Gabbidon (groin) and striker Dean Ashton (os Trigonum syndrome) for the visit of Tottenham. With Craig Bellamy, Carlton Cole David Di Michele and Diego Tristan all fighting to play upfront in a Hammers attack that has been misfiring recently.
Tottenham will be without Alan Hutton (metatarsal), Luka Modric (thigh) and summer signing Giovanni Dos Santos (ankle) for the trip across London to Upton park. Redknapp is likely to field his strongest side against the Hammers as the Spurs boss is only too aware of the tightness of the situation at the bottom of the table and the importance of staying in the Premier League to Tottenham.
“It's very hard to get out, you need a good run. We've had a good run, we've taken nearly two points a game,” Redknapp said earlier this week.
“Long term the most important thing for this club is the Premier League. That's the most important thing by far.”
West Ham United: (from) Green, Neill, Ilunga, Lopez, Parker, Bellamy, Etherington, Cole, Boa Morte, Upson, Noble, Mullins, Collins, Faubert, Behrami, Stokes, Lastuvka, Tristan, Davenport, Bowyer, Collison, Di Michele, Sears, Stech, Hines, Jeffery
Tottenham Hotspur: (from) Gomes, King, Woodgate, Corluka, Bale, Jenas, Bentley, Zokora, Lennon, Huddlestone, Bent, Pavlyuchenko, Cesar, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto,
Gunter, Campbell, Stalteri, Ghaly, Taarabt, Rocha, Boateng, O’Hara, Gilberto, Alnwick
Tottenham Hotspur play, Paul Ince’s Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League at White Hart Lane on Sunday
Spurs will be full of confidence going into this clash with Blackburn, despite losing for the first time in seven games under new boss Harry Redknapp against Fulham at Craven Cottage last weekend. Tottenham are still in the relegation zone, but had won three out of the last four in the Premiership before the defeat to the Cottagers, with wins against Liverpool, Manchester City and Bolton and a draw against North London rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Redknapp will see this as a must win game against Rovers, who are just a point ahead of Tottenham in the table.
Ince will be hoping his Blackburn side can turn around a slump that has seen them take just 3 points out of a possible 21 in the last seven games, which has seen the North West club slide into the relegation zone. Rovers have not won since September, when they beat Newcastle United 2-1 at St James’ Park. Ince will be boosted by the fact that Blackburn have been better on their travels this season losing only twice compared with four times at Ewood Park, but will be happy to take anything away from White Hart Lane on Sunday.
Redknapp will be without his playmaker Luka Modric, who will be out for up to two weeks with a groin strain picked up against Fulham last weekend.
A statement on the club's official website read: “An MRI scan has revealed that Luka Modric has suffered a partially torn groin muscle. He was forced off with the injury at half-time in Saturday's match with Fulham and is expected to be sidelined for up to two weeks.”
While, Tottenham will also be without Giovanni Dos Santos (ankle) and Brazilian Gilberto (knee) for the visit of Blackburn. One selection dilemma for Redknapp is who to play up front, with Roman Pavlyuchenko, Darren Bent and Fraizer Campell, who was man-of the-match for the England Under-21 side in their win against the Czech Republic on Tuesday all in good goal-scoring form.
Blackburn will be without Brett Emerton (hamstring), Steven Reid (knee), Vince Grella (hamstring) and David Dunn (calf) for the crunch clash at White Hart Lane. Paul Robinson is set to face his former club for the first time since his summer move to Rovers and will want to show Spurs they were wrong to sell him after being shown the door at Tottenham by former manager Juande Ramos.
Tottenham Hotspur: (from) Gomes, Hutton, Bale, Zokora, Bentley, Huddlestone, Lennon, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Bent, Stalteri, Ghaly, Gunter, Campbell, Taarabt, Dawson, Cesar, Corluka, Boateng, O’Hara, King, Assou-Ekotto, Rocha, Woodgate, Bostock, Dervite
Blackburn Rovers: (from) Robinson, Oojer, Warnock, Samba, Tugay, Nelsen, Santa Cruz, McCarthy, Pederson, Khizanishvili, Vogel, Mokoena, Andrews, Villanueva, Simpson, Fowler, Treacy, Derbyshire, Olsson, Roberts, Brown, Bunn
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