Tottenham v Birmingham

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham’s Rafael van der Vaart is a major doubt after injuring his calf last weekend, while Steven Pienaar could miss out with a groin injury.

Alan Hutton, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Jermaine Jenas are all fit, while Heurelho Gomes, Tom Huddlestone, Wilson Palacios and Ledley King could feature despite spending time in the treatment room recently.

Birmingham duo Craig Gardner and Liam Ridgewell return after completing suspensions.

Lee Bowyer, Martin Jiranek and Stuart Parnaby are doubts, while Alexander Hleb is ruled out and David Bentley is ineligible to face his parent club.

Tottenham

Doubtful: Gomes (back), Huddlestone (ankle), King (groin), Palacios (knee), Pienaar (groin),

Injured: Gallas (hamstring), Bale (ankle), Khumalo (foot), Woodgate (calf)

Birmingham

Doubtful: Bowyer (hamstring), Jiranek (ankle), Parnaby (groin)

Injured/unavailable: Bentley (ineligible), Dann (hamstring), Martins (groin), Hleb & McFadden (both knee), Taylor (shoulder), Valles (foot), Zigic (groin/hip)

PREVIEW BY MOTD COMMENTATOR SIMON BROTHERTON

A first major trophy for 48 years means it’s been a momentous year for Birmingham City, but it’s a season that could leave a bad taste with their Premier League future now hanging by a thread.

A run of two wins from the last 12 games has led to them almost sleepwalking into the thick of the relegation dogfight. Who’d have thought just three months on from the Wembley win over Arsenal that Blues would be in a game of potentially greater significance.

The Champions League places have all gone, but Tottenham are still playing for fifth place which brings with it a Europa League spot, and they go into the match with a one-point advantage over Liverpool after beating them 2-0 at Anfield last weekend. Harry Redknapp has bemoaned his team’s inability to finish teams off in recent weeks and there’s no doubt they’ve tailed off, with just two wins from the last 11 games.

I was at White Hart lane a couple of weeks ago and saw first-hand how Tottenham have been struggling to put chances away and it took a very late goal from Jermain Defoe to rescue a point against Blackpool.

Ian Holloway’s team produced a stirring effort that day and were left wondering what might have been if Charlie Adam had put both penalties away rather than just one in a mad second-half minute.

Do Blues have the same go-for-it attitude that Blackpool possess? Birmingham could have lost by a hatful to Fulham at St Andrew’s last Sunday and you could see the look of shock on the manager’s face as the game unfolded.

It’s ‘squeaky Brum’ time alright, but White Hart Lane was the venue for Alex McLeish’s first match in charge of the club back in December 2007 and I distinctly remember commentating on the game that day. Sebastian Larsson won it 3-2 for Birmingham with a spectacular strike into the top corner in the very last minute. I’m sure even Colin Doyle’s wife would tweet with delight if something similar happened on Sunday!

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Birmingham have lost only one of their last five games against Tottenham (W2, D2, L1).
• Blues won 3-2 at White Hart Lane in December 2007 in what was Alex McLeish’s first game in charge. However, that is Birmingham’s only league win away to Tottenham in the past 27 years.

Tottenham

• Victory at Anfield last weekend was Tottenham’s second win in 11 league games.
• Spurs have suffered just one league defeat at home this season, a record bettered by only Manchester United. However, they have drawn nine games at White Hart Lane, the highest tally in the top flight.
• Tottenham have won three of 11 games against sides in the bottom six this season (W3, D5, L3). Had they won all those games, they would be one point clear of Manchester United at the top of the table.

Birmingham

• Blues have won two of their last 12 league games (W2, D3, L7).
• Birmingham have lost four of their last five, conceding 13 goals.
• Their tally of 36 goals from 37 league games is the lowest in the top flight.

LEADING GOALSCORERS

Tottenham

Van der Vaart: 15 goals (13 league);

Pavlyuchenko: 11 goals (7 league)

Birmingham

Gardner: 9 goals (7 league);

Zigic: 8 goals (5 league)

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Mark Clattenburg

Assistant referees: Simon Beck & Stephen Child

Fourth official: Stuart Attwell

LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

Tottenham (W2-0 v Liverpool, a): Cudicini, Kaboul, Dawson, King, Rose (Bassong 82), Lennon, Modric, Sandro, Pienaar (Kranjcar 90), Van der Vaart (Defoe 53), Crouch. Subs not used: Pletikosa, Pavlyuchenko, Livermore, Bostock.

Birmingham (L0-2 v Fulham, h): Foster, Carr, Johnson, Jiranek (Davies 67), Parnaby (Beausejour 56), Larsson, Ferguson, Bowyer (Hleb 50), Bentley, Phillips, Derbyshire. Subs not used: Doyle, Fahey, Mutch, Asante.