Kaboul injury adds to Tottenham concerns
Reuters - Friday 13 April 2012, 12:20
Younes Kaboul will miss
Tottenham Hotspur's FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Sunday
as the club tries to arrest a slump in form and reach their
first final in the competition since 1991.
French central defender Kaboul is seeing a specialist in
France after injuring his knee in the first half of the 2-1 home
defeat by Norwich City in the Premier League on Monday.
With Ledley King also struggling, Michael Dawson out for the
season with an ankle injury, and Sebastian Bassong on loan at
Wolverhampton Wanderers, manager Harry Redknapp is short of
defensive options. Former Chelsea player William Gallas likely
to partner Ryan Nelsen at Wembley.
"Kaboul has picked up a knee injury and gone back to France
to see a specialist," Redknapp told reporters at the club's
training ground on Friday.
"He landed awkwardly against Norwich and definitely won't
play against Chelsea. We've had to chop and change centre-backs
so many times this season.
"Kaboul has been the only steady one and now he's out. Ryan
Nelson and Gallas are the last two standing. I wouldn't write
off Ledley for sure but he wasn't himself against Norwich."
Tottenham have won only one of their last eight Premier
League matches, a slump in form that has threatened their place
in the top four. But Redknapp, who guided Spurs to the FA Cup
semi-final two seasons ago before losing to Portsmouth, said the
season could still end on a high.
"It's a great game to look forward, a semi-final, a great
position for the club to be in at this stage of the season,"
Redknapp said. "We have a semi-final to look forward to and
we're still trying to get into the Champions League.
"If at the start of the season you had said we were going to
be in this position we would have been delighted."
However, Redknapp said it was about time Tottenham began
adding to their collection of silverware.
"There is not much beween us and Chelsea really although
they have the medals to show for what they have done over the
recent years," he said.
"Spurs have won two trophies since the FA Cup in 1991 and
both of those were the League Cup. It's about time Spurs won
another trophy. We are not far away to challenge for trophies
but we have to keep improving."
Scott Parker is expected to be fit for the evening kick-off at
Wembley after missing the Norwich defeat with tight hamstrings
while Louis Saha is a slight doubt with a groin strain.