Spurs will look to continue their fine festive-season form when they welcome Mark Hughes’ Fulham side to White Hart Lane on Saturday.
On Boxing Day, Harry Redknapp’s men scored a 2-1 win over Aston Villa and gained the three points again on Tuesday with a 2-0 triumph over Newcastle to stay in fifth spot in the English Premier League, five points behind leaders Manchester United.
Fulham, by contrast, have struggled this season and are in the relegation zone with just 19 points from their opening 19 matches seeing them third from the bottom.
In their last match, however, they scored a 2-0 away win over Stoke – although the fact that it was their first away win of the season will be worrying to Hughes.
Both managers have selection headaches ahead of the clash, with Redknapp likely to be without William Gallas, who is nursing a hamstring injury, and Tom Huddlestone (ankle).
He will also be without Jermain Defoe and defender Younes Kaboul, who were both handed three-match bans when they were sent off against Villa and Newcastle respectively.
Hughes has injury concerns of his own leading into the match, with long-term absentees Bobby Zamora and Philippe Senderos certain to miss, although striker Mousa Dembele may be ready to resume after an ankle injury.
In better news, striker Andy Johnson has emerged unscathed from his four first team starts this term after battling back from a broken leg.
But Hughes would dearly love the front man to rediscover the goalscoring form that made him such a valuable commodity at Crystal Palace, with the 29-year-old unable to find the back of the net in his last 25 games.
Thu 30 December, 2010
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