Harry Redkanpp would be the first to admit he has enjoyed the rub of the green during his first three weeks at Tottenham. Yet, as he prepares for tonight's match with Liverpool, the Spurs manager may rue his bad luck over the timing of the fixture.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez had always planned to rest some of his top men for the Carling Cup fourth-round tie at White Hart Lane but he is likely to unleash perhaps the world's best centre-forward, Fernando Torres, on a Tottenham defence that still struggle to convince.

The frustration for Redknapp is that had the game been a week earlier or a week later, Torres would almost certainly not have played.

The Spain striker is still regaining his stride after missing six matches with a hamstring injury and Benitez sees the Carling Cup as the perfect chance to ease him back to full fitness as he prepares for League fixtures against Bolton and Fulham.

Had Torres been at full tilt, he would not have figured - as Benitez's decision to rest key players such as Steven Gerrard, former Spurs striker Robbie Keane and goalkeeper Pepe Reina illustrates.

Benitez said: "Fernando Torres will be in the squad and he could start. It's an important competition for us. We have players who have not been playing regularly but who have quality.

"Gerrard will not be in the squad, neither will Keane. It's always difficult to play so many games in a row and you have to change some players depending on the competition.

"The majority of them can play many games in a row but some need to be taken care of. Gerrard is one of them at this moment. Dirk Kuyt is another who has played almost every game this season. Xabi Alonso, Jamie Carragher and Robbie Keane are the same. It's always important to win trophies and this is an opportunity to do that.

"You must always be ready in every competition. People talk about big names playing but it's more important to talk about good players and we'll have good players playing in the Carling Cup."

Torres's presence notwithstanding, the absence of the likes of Gerrard and Reina should increase Spurs' belief that they can maintain the defence of the trophy they won in February by progressing to the quarter-finals.

That they managed to achieve a 2-1 victory over a much stronger Reds team at White Hart Lane just 11 days ago ought to increase the confidence of Redknapp's players, although it must be noted that Liverpool were very unlucky not to win that game.

When Spurs were bottom of the table after taking only two points from nine games under former boss Juande Ramos, it looked as though their only route back into European competition would be through success in the cup competitions.

But their run of three wins and a draw from their last four League games have left some Spurs fans dreaming about European football again.

Redknapp's assistant Kevin Bond, however, has a far more sober view of the club's prospects. Despite the euphoria which has resulted from their recent displays, Spurs are still only one point above bottom-of-the-table West Bromwich Albion. Redknapp has brought his former Portsmouth coaches, Bond and Joe Jordan, to White Hart Lane, and Bond said: "The only thing that is important is retaining our Premier League status because we are still very much in trouble along with lots of other clubs and no one is getting carried away here."

Although he is unlikely to tinker with his starting XI as much as Benitez will, Redknapp will use his squad, with on-loan Manchester United striker Fraizer Campbell likely to play some part. Campbell, who was on loan at Hull last season, joined Spurs as part of the deal that saw Dimitar Berbatov move to Old Trafford but has had little playing time so far.

Redknapp added: "I'm going to make one or two changes. One or two of the lads will get a chance because they are good players and it will still be a good team.

"I need to see the likes of Fraizer Campbell. I've seen nothing of him so far but he has looked terrific in training."