Campbell To Start For Spurs As Bent Adds To Redknapp's Injury Woes

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Fraizer Campbell is set to start in the UEFA Cup clash for Tottenham against Spartak Moscow on Thursday, with England International Darren Bent the latest Spurs player to be ruled out of the game at White Hart Lane as he has tonsillitis.

Bent joins captain Ledley King (knee) and Jonathan Woodgate, who has a back injury, while Jermaine Jenas has a calf tear and Alan Hutton a metatarsal fracture, with Mexican Giovanni also missing due to a sprained ankle.

Summer signings Vedran Corluka and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko (left) are both cup-tied, leaving Campbell, who is on loan from Premier League Champions Manchester United as the only recognised forward at the North London club.

Due to this injury crisis Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is set to blood some of the youngster’s at Spurs in this final group game with Spartak. First year academy players 16-year-old John Bostock and Dean Parrett along with reserve team players Danny Rose and Dorien Dervite and second year academy players Adam Smith and 18-year-old John Obika are all set to be included in the squad for the UEFA tie.

Fulham, Spurs, Milan & Celtic To Fight It Out For Croatian International

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Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle it out with Premier League rivals Fulham along with AC Milan and Celtic for Croatian International goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa, who id due to face Spurs when they play Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Cup on Thursday.

29-year-old Pletikosa is the subject of interest of all four clubs, according to the keeper’s agent Mark Naletilic. With Naletilic also revealing that while enquiries have been made no firm offer has been made for Pletikosa, who is valued at £6.5million by Spartak.



“There are several interested clubs, but we are still at an early stage,” he told sportskenovosti.hr.

“Fulham is certainly among them, but the club have not yet submitted an official bid. Everything will depend on the price.

“Spartak are pleased with him, but they will not make things complicated if a real opportunity presents itself. Russians behave in the market, if a good offer arrives they do not stand in a player’s way.”

Naletilic went on to declare the interest from Celtic, while claiming that Tottenham were keen on Pletikosa to replace Heurelho Gomes, who has made a string of high-profile errors since his summer move to White Hart Lane from PSV Eindhoven.

Along with the interest from the Rossoneri, who while not dismissing a move to the San Siro highlighted the problem of the Serie A side having too many players from outside the EU in their squad.

“Contacts with Celtic are there from before, while Tottenham are interested due to the bad form of Heurelho Gomes,” he added.

“Milan also seek a goalkeeping solution, but there could be perhaps the problem of too many players from outside the EU. Everything is possible.”

Redknapp Told Spurs Striker Pavlyuchenko Needs A Slap

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Tottenham Hotspur manager, Harry Redknapp has been told that summer signing Roman Pavlyuchenko needs the odd “slap” to get the best out the striker by former Spartak Moscow boss Vladimir Fedotov.

Redknapp was told that 26-year-old Pavlyuchenko, who arrived at White Hart Lane from Spartak in the summer for £14million sometimes, had a problem getting motivated for matches. With the best way to do it being either shouting at the Russian International or even going as far as to slap the EURO 2008 star around a bit Fedotov revealed.

Former Portsmouth manager Redknapp has also been told that dropping Pavlyuchenko to the reserves also helped to get get the best out of the Russian and that the Spurs striker needed “a bit of help” if he felt that Pavlyuchenko was not in the right mood to play.

Fedotov told Sport Express newspaper: “When I had the feeling that he wasn't going to be in the right mood for a game, I gave him a bit of help.

“So I had to shout at him or sometimes even slap him around the face ... I did it fairly softly although I do have a good punch if I need to.

“Pavlyuchenko is a very gifted footballer. It was easy for me to work with him, as I knew his strong sides and his weaknesses.

“His greatest disadvantage is that if he is not in the right mood for the game he is an absolute disaster. He becomes a sap. I hope in England they'll get rid of this habit.

“It was important that I noticed his moods well in advance. If I didn't spot it, he'd wander around the pitch like a lost boy and it was impossible to do anything with him after kick-off.”

Another former manager of the Russian side, Stranislav Cherchesov, has backed this sentiment, with Cherchesov also revealing that Pavlyuchenko had motivational problems.

He said: “After watching him play in England I'm glad to see that Pavlyuchenko comes on the pitch much more motivated than he did for an average game in Russia.

“Evidently this English football is new and interesting to him. I had to exile him to the reserves for a game once to make him change his attitude.

“It was a harsh decision for a manager to make. Initially he was awfully offended. His pride was hurt. He couldn't understand what he was being punished for.

“I'm sure by now he realised that temporary exile did him a lot of good. And not only for him but Spartak and the Russian national team too.”

Argentine International Open To Spurs Move

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Argentine International striker Fernando Cavenaghi has revealed that he would be open to a move to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur from Ligue 1 side Bordeaux.

Recent reports have suggested that new Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is keen to add 25-year-old Cavenaghi to his squad at White Hart Lane in January. With Redknapp only having three recognised strikers in Roman Pavlyuchenko, Darren Bent and loan signing from Manchester United Fraizer Campbell at the North London club.

Cavenaghi has now claimed that if Tottenham are indeed interested in signing him then it is an offer the former River Plate forward would have to give serious consideration to.

Cavenaghi told Setanta: “I do not know if Tottenham are really interested in signing me. If it's right, though, I will study this offer because they are a top English team.

“I must say I like the English league, I like it a lot.

“I know many Premier League players, even if there are not many Argentinians up there. Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano - I know them well. Why shouldn't I follow in their footsteps?”

Despite being left on the bench for Bordeaux’s Champions League clash with Chelsea on Wednesday, Cavenaghi has insisted that he is not frustrated at the French side.

“I would not say I am frustrated. I play every single league game, so it's only in the Champions League that I come on as a substitute,” he added.

Should Cavenaghi leave Bordeaux in January for Spurs then he would be reunited with Pavlyuchenko, who he played with upfront at Spartak Moscow for two years between 2004-2006.

Tottenham Plan £25million Ligue 1 Double Swoop?

New Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has already been linked with a string of strikers in the January transfer window since taken over from Juande Ramos at White Hart Lane last Sunday, with Spurs now being linked with Ligue 1 pair, Fernando Cavenaghi at Bordeaux and Jimmy Briand, who plays for Rennes, according to Mercato 365.

Redknapp is almost certain to add more firepower to the Tottenham front line in January, with summer signing Roman Pavlyuchenko and England International Darren Bent the only two experienced forwards at the North London club.

Although Spurs have been linked with Everton’s Yakubu and Wigan Athletic’s Egyptian sensation Amr Zaki along with his Latics strike-partner Emile Heskey at home in the Premier League, Tottenham are now believed to be tracking Cavenaghi and Briand in the French top-flight.

Cavenaghi is a former team-mate of Pavlyuchenko, having played with the Russian International at Spartak Moscow and is valued by the French side at around £15million, with the 25-year-old Argentine International scoring 23 goals in 44 league matches for Bordeaux and is exactly the type of out-and-out goal-scorer that Redknapp is looking for at White Hart Lane.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old Briand has drawn comparisons in his style of play to former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, with the Frenchman reportedly a target for Redknapp when he was in charge of Portsmouth. The Gunners were also said to be interested in Briand after his breakthrough season for Rennes in 2006-2007. However, despite the comparisons with Barcelona’s Henry, Briand is less prolific and plays as a second striker, where he can create for others as well as score.

Briand would cost Tottenham in the region of £10million, with the striker unsettled at the Route de Lorient after a summer tug-of-war with Ligue 1 rivals Paris St Germain, which resulted in Briand staying with Rennes, despite wanting to leave.