Wigan vs Tottenham preview - Double injury blow for Spurs

Posted Saturday, April 02, 2011 by PA

Gareth Bale and William Gallas are out of Tottenham's Barclays Premier League clash against Wigan and are serious doubts for Tuesday's Champions League encounter with Real Madrid.

Gallas looks increasingly doubtful for next week's showdown at the Bernabeu after breaking down with a knee injury while Bale is struggling to recover from a hamstring problem.

Ledley King (groin), Younes Kaboul (thigh) and Jonathan Woodgate (calf) are also out, leaving Michael Dawson and Sebastien Bassong as Spurs' only two fit centre-halves.

Tom Huddlestone could play his first match in almost five months at the DW Stadium after coming through a friendly against Barnet unscathed.

Spurs' push for Champions League qualification has faltered recently but they will close the gap on fourth-placed Manchester City to one point with a win over Roberto Martinez's strugglers.

Harry Redknapp's side lost to the Latics in this season's reverse fixture and have dropped points against other relegation-threatened teams this year.

But the Spurs boss is confident his side will not be distracted by thoughts of their midweek Champions League glamour tie when they take to the field on Saturday.

"They are all focused, they know how important it is to make that top four," said Redknapp.

"Saturday is all important for us. We have to look to get Champions League football for sure next year, so we have to keep picking up points. Wigan is a vital game for us."

The importance of the Spurs' qualification for next year's Champions League was underlined on Thursday by financial results that showed the club's revenue increased 49% during the six months that followed their qualification to this season's competition.

Redknapp thinks this year's exciting foray into the Champions League will have made the club a much more attractive proposition to players looking for a move this summer.

"We are a club now whose name has been spread all over Europe because of the Champions League and the great games we have had this year," Redknapp said.

"Players all over the world want to come to us but they want Champions League football as well."

Bottom side Wigan have a clean bill of health for the clash.

Latics have had 12 players on international duty over the past fortnight but none have reported back with injuries.

Wigan boss Martinez expects to have to do it the hard way to climb off the bottom of the Premier League on Saturday.

The Spaniard is not expecting any favours from Tottenham at the DW Stadium, despite the Londoners` tie at Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Martinez believes Wigan will have to be at their best even if Spurs boss Redknapp opts to hold certain players back ahead of the trip to the Bernabeu.

Martinez said: "They have got such a wonderful squad.

"I don't think they will play with 10 men! If they play with 11 they will have a great team out there. We will have to be perfect.

"Nowadays these players are well used to playing a lot of games in a short period of time.

"Their players have been involved at international level and they know how important it is to finish in the top four of the competition.

"I don't believe you can afford to be on the football pitch and not be fully committed or think you are not 100%. I don't think that happens in football.

"It is going to be two important games for Spurs and we expect a very tough game against them."

Wigan boosted their chances of survival with a dramatic last-gasp win over fellow strugglers Birmingham on their last outing a fortnight ago.

Beating Tottenham - a side which thrashed them 9-1 and 3-0 last season - would also earn Wigan an impressive double having won at White Hart Lane in August.

Martinez added: "That would be a real achievement.

"We all know the last two campaigns of Spurs, they have been phenomenal. They are making history.

"We are playing Spurs in between them playing AC Milan and Real Madrid.

"That shows you how far they have progressed and it is a real test for us.

"They have wonderful, world-class players that can affect the game in one second.

"The concentration levels are going to be really important.

"But we are in a position where we cannot afford to look at the opposition.

"We need to look at ourselves and reach a certain level in each game. We have to give our lives to get as many points as we can."