Roman Pavlyuchenko appears to be on collision course with Tottenham after he vowed to join up with the Russia squad - despite the club ruling him out for three weeks with an ankle injury.

Spurs announced last night that scans had shown the striker had suffered a partially torn ankle ligament during Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Hull and added that specialists had ruled him "unfit to play for the next three weeks".

But Pavlyuchenko has decided to fly to Moscow for a second opinion, raising the possibility he could even be picked for Saturday's World Cup qualifier in Germany.

The 26-year-old striker said: "I am going to Moscow to join the national team, and I am also going to show my foot to the medics there. Then I'll get the final verdict."

It is the second time in less than a month Spurs could clash with the Russian Football Association over Pavlyuchenko. Spurs wanted their £14million signing from Spartak Moscow rested for the World Cup qualifier against Wales on 11 September, but Russia coach Guus Hiddink ignored their request - and Pavlyuchenko scored a penalty in his side's 2-1 win.

Hiddink suggested he would be prepared to adopt the same attitude again when he revealed the Russian FA had demanded that Pavlyuchenko be released for international duty, notwithstanding his injury.

Hiddink told Russian newspaper Sovetsky Sport: "We sent a fax to Tottenham, in which we requested them to release the player. We did that because the team doctors need to assess the player's fitness, to look at the condition of his leg and make a decision then.

"I know the player was looking forward to joining up with his country. So I hope there won't be a problem."