Tottenham vs Chelsea preview - Redknapp hoping Lampard is left out again

Posted Thursday, December 22, 2011 by PA

Harry Redknapp is hoping Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas will leave Frank Lampard on the bench for Thursday's mouth-watering London derby at White Hart Lane.

Lampard has been a regular starter for Chelsea for most of the last decade, but has had to play a largely peripheral role recently, starting three of the last six games from the bench.

The 33-year-old returned to the Chelsea starting line-up last weekend at Wigan, but the Blues' failure to beat Roberto Martinez's strugglers may cause Villas-Boas to make changes in midfield again.

The Portuguese has opted to play Raul Meireles in Lampard's place recently after making it clear that the former West Ham midfielder is no longer guaranteed a place in the Blues starting XI.

Redknapp is Lampard's uncle and knows him well having seen the midfielder come through the ranks at West Ham.

The Tottenham boss thinks Lampard is by no means a spent force and hopes he will be omitted from the Blues' team for the important clash in north London.

"I hope he isn't playing," Redknapp said.

"He is a fantastic player so if he is not playing I wouldn't be too disappointed.

"Look at his record - he scores nearly 20 goals a year every year.

"That's incredible for a midfielder."

Despite playing one less game than their rivals, Spurs have opened up a five-point gap over Arsenal and will have the same advantage over Chelsea if they win.

Redknapp denies this means his team are favourites to win the derby, however.

"I wouldn't say we are favourites," Redknapp said.

"It looks like an even game and we were not saying that a few years ago. We have come a long way."

But Redknapp's team go in to the match as marginal favourites having lost just once in their last 13 league games.

Their last defeat at White Hart Lane came in August and they have looked almost unplayable at home for the majority of the season.

The excellent form of speedy winger Gareth Bale has played a huge part in helping propel Spurs up to third in the league, but the Welshman missed Sunday's game against Sunderland with a sprained ankle and is a major doubt.

"He (Bale) is struggling at the moment. He hasn't been able to train so he is very doubtful," Redknapp said.

Captain Ledley King is also a doubt as he struggles to play more than one game a week due to his chronic knee injury.

Emmanuel Adebayor should overcome a minor foot injury and start, but there is a big question mark over the fitness of Jermain Defoe, who sat out Sunday's game with a hamstring complaint.

"Jermain thinks he has a chance but the physio doesn't," Redknapp added.

"The physio feels if we take a chance on him he could tear it quite badly and then it's a six-week job. We don't need that really, but he loves training and playing."

And Chelsea and Tottenham could be set for yet another transfer tug-of-war after Villas-Boas admitted his interest in signing Gary Cahill.

The January transfer window could perpetuate current hostilities, with Villas-Boas and Redknapp both confirmed admirers of Bolton defender Cahill.

Redknapp narrowly missed out on the England star last summer and recently admitted he was considering trying again to sign him next month.

Villas-Boas has now denied reports Bolton had accepted a £7million bit from Chelsea but confirmed Cahill, who is out of contract next summer, was a potential target.

"We are aware of Gary's contractual situation," Villas-Boas said.

"His talent is never in question.

"He is an interesting player for the club."

Chelsea are short of experienced cover in central defence, with Alex having been banished from the first-team squad after handing in a transfer request.

Villas-Boas, who said he had yet to receive any offers for the Brazilian, added: "We have taken a decision this season regarding Alex - a transfer request accepted - but we haven't decided yet on what we are going to do with the Alex situation.

"We'll have to let the market open and make the wisest of decisions, whether it be on Alex, Cahill or other central defenders who are available."

Villas-Boas must decide whether to drop Lampard for another big game, with Ramires fit to return from a leg knock.