Tottenham vs QPR preview - Dawson set for specialist

Posted Sunday, October 30, 2011 by PA

Tottenham defender Michael Dawson will see a specialist about his troublesome Achilles injury next week amid fears the defender could require surgery that will keep him out of action for months.

Dawson suffered the injury shortly after Spurs' 5-1 defeat against Manchester City on August 28.

The initial diagnosis was the defender would be out for two months, but he raised hopes he would make an early return two weeks ago when he started running with the rest of the Spurs squad.

The 27-year-old was forced to return to carrying out purely gym work soon after, however, and Tottenham's medical staff have deemed the defender must see a specialist to see if his rehabilitation has been seriously hampered.

"Michael is going for a scan on Wednesday on his Achilles and at the moment he's not feeling happy with it. It could be a long-term problem for him," manager Harry Redknapp said.

Losing Dawson for an even longer spell than first thought would be a big blow to the defender as he missed three months of last season after undergoing knee surgery.

Thanks to the form of Ledley King and Younes Kaboul, Spurs have not felt Dawson's absence too much, but another injury to King left Redknapp with only two fit centre halves last week - Kaboul and Sebastien Bassong.

There was some good news from the treatment room, however, after it emerged William Gallas could be fit to play some part in the home match against QPR.

Redknapp said: "I'm hoping William Gallas should be back now. He's had a calf strain in both legs but should be over that. He's trained this week and we hope he's on his way back."

Redknapp's men face QPR on the back of a six-match unbeaten run that has seen them move up to fifth in the Barclays Premier League table.

QPR will feel they can challenge their London rivals, however, having dispatched title contenders Chelsea last Sunday in a victory that was overshadowed by accusations John Terry racially abused Anton Ferdinand - a claim the England skipper denies.

Rangers are 10th in the league after their early-season wobble and Redknapp thinks the club's form has been in no small measure down to their manager Neil Warnock - a man who he thinks can rival him for the England manager's position next summer.

"I'm sure he could do the (England) job," Redknapp said.

"If you have good players you have a chance. Neil has done fantastically. To walk in there and take them up in his first full season takes some doing.

"People think it's easy but they've all been trying and no-one got near it. Suddenly he walks in and up they go up."

Warnock could select the same starting line-up that defeated Chelsea.

The Rs boss has suggested he may pick the same team, while hinting Danny Gabbidon and Armand Traore may be drafted into the squad.

The former has been out since victory at Wolves with a knee injury and Traore has had a thigh complaint, but both trained today and will be assessed ahead of the trip to White Hart Lane.