Surgery fear for Woodgate but Bassong could be back

Tom Collomosse
25.09.09

Jonathan Woodgate may have to have another operation but fellow Tottenham centre-half Sebastien Bassong could play tomorrow less than a week after suffering concussion.

Woodgate has been sidelined since undergoing surgery on his groin in the summer and is facing a key moment in his recovery.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said: “He had an injection earlier in the week and it feels a lot easier so we are hoping that does the trick rather than him having another operation."

Bassong, however, could be available to face Burnley despite being sent to hospital with concussion and a knee injury after a heavy fall in the 3-0 defeat at Chelsea last Sunday.

Redknapp said: “Sebastien is going to see a specialist today to see whether he can be given the all‑clear to play tomorrow. We are hopeful he will be okay. He feels all right.”

Bassong is likely to play alongside Michael Dawson, who made his return from an Achilles injury in Wednesday's 5-1 victory over Preston in the Carling Cup.

Crouch scored a hat-trick in that match but will only keep his place up front if Redknapp uses Robbie Keane on the left of midfield.

The manager said: “Crouch is in great form but Robbie and Jermain Defoe are scoring goals so it's a nice problem — and better than having no one scoring.”

The match with Burnley will force Redknapp to revisit the memory of his worst moment as Spurs boss.

He came within a whisker of a Carling Cup exit against Owen Coyle's side — who were then a Championship club — eight months ago, with only two late goals ensuring they reached the final.

That narrow escape at Turf Moor proved a turning point for Redknapp's team, as they quickly pulled away from relegation trouble in the Premier League and finished the campaign strongly.

But even though his side are sixth in the table, Redknapp still shudders when he recalls his team's near-miss against tomorrow's opponents.

“That game was easily my hardest time as Spurs manager,” he said. “We looked certainties to go out, but we got through it — somehow. We were stuck in a relegation battle at the time and losing that game would have been very tough. It wouldn't have been easy to turn things around after that.”