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Page last updated at 18:56 GMT, Monday, 18 January 2010

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp still wary of Liverpool

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Anfield Date: Wednesday, 20 January 2010 Kick-off: 2000 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, full match commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and BBC Radio Merseyside 95.8FM, 1485MW and DAB & live on Sky Sports 1

Fernando Torres
Torres will miss the game against Tottenham with a knee injury

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp admitted it could be a good time to face an injury-hit Liverpool missing star men Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

However, Redknapp, who has never led a team to victory at Anfield, insisted he is still wary of facing Rafael Benitez's side on Wednesday.

"I'd be lying if I said that the absence of Gerrard and Torres won't matter," said Redknapp.

"But they have a strong squad. I have never been there and had an easy game."

Spurs were due to face Liverpool earlier in the month but the match was postponed because snow, with Gerrard suffering a hamstring injury and Torres having a knee operation since then.

Liverpool are seventh in the Premier League, three places and four points behind Spurs who currently occupy the fourth and final Champions League spot.

Both sides only managed to pick up a point last weekend with Liverpool drawing 1-1 at Stoke and Spurs being locked in a 0-0 draw against Hull.

606: DEBATE

With a four-way battle for fourth place heating up between Tottenham, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool, Benitez is adamant his side can stay in contention.

"In football every week things can change and with one or two results things can be different," said Benitez.

"When Arsenal came here on 13 December people were talking about them being under pressure but they won and two weeks later they are contenders and can win the title."

Along with Gerrard and Torres, Benitez will also be without playmaker Yossi Benayoun who has a rib injury, however, Atletico Madrid midfielder Maxi Rodriguez could make his full debut.

Redknapp's own options have been bolstered by the return of Jamie O'Hara as the Premier League's transfer embargo for Portsmouth meant the midfielder could not re-register on loan at Fratton Park.

Spurs winger Aaron Lennon still has a sore groin and will miss out while Ledley King's knee injury could rule him out even though scan results were encouraging for the centre-back.

"He had another scan on his sore knee, but the scan showed up OK," said Redknapp.

One change the Spurs boss may chose to make is bringing in striker Peter Crouch to face his old club where he scored 42 goals in 134 games.

"When Crouch came on against Hull, and not being disrespectful to Robbie, we suddenly looked more dangerous," stated Redknapp, whose side are unbeaten in six games.

"They put so many bodies in there and it was hard to play through them. When Crouch came on we could miss them out and drop balls up to him and he won headers and we were getting shots on goal."



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see also
Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham
20 Jan 10 |  Premier League
Jones exit talk nonsense - Bruce
22 Jan 10 |  Liverpool
Stoke 1-1 Liverpool
16 Jan 10 |  Premier League
Tottenham 0-0 Hull City
16 Jan 10 |  Premier League
Torres knee operation rocks Reds
14 Jan 10 |  Liverpool
Liverpool sign winger Rodriguez
13 Jan 10 |  Liverpool
Liverpool P-P Tottenham
08 Jan 10 |  Premier League


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