WFootball: Spurs Injuries Cause Woe
Tottenham Hotspur's Younès Kaboul ruled out of FA Cup semi-final
• Tottenham have only two fully fit central defenders for tie
• Ryan Nelsen and William Gallas set to start against Chelsea
Guardian UK 13 April
- http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/...Kaboul-008.jpg
Younès Kaboul will miss Tottenham's FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea after suffering a knee injury against Norwich. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
An injury crisis means Tottenham Hotspur have only two fully-fit central defenders for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. Ryan Nelsen and William Gallas, who have a combined age of 68, look set to start against Roberto Di Matteo's side after Younès Kaboul was ruled out with a knee injury that he suffered against Norwich City on Monday.
Ledley King's chronic knee problem makes him a serious doubt – he cannot play more than one game a week and started against Norwich – while Michael Dawson is out for the season with an ankle problem. That means Nelsen, who signed in February after being released by Blackburn Rovers, and Gallas – who has been dogged by calf injuries all season – are the only fully fit defenders available.
"Younès Kaboul did his knee last week so he is not available," the Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, said.
Bongani Khumalo, a South Africa defender signed in January 2011, is another option for Redknapp, although the 25-year-old is yet to make an appearance for Spurs and struggled to break in to the first teams of Preston North End and Reading during two separate loan spells.
Redknapp looks likely to have Scott Parker available after he missed Monday's defeat, but the Spurs manager's options from the bench have been limited by a knee injury to Niko Kranjcar, who was hobbling around Tottenham's training ground with a brace on his right leg on Friday. Redknapp added: "Niko Kranjcar picked up a knee injury in midweek. He won't be available at the weekend. I have one or two little knocks as well."
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