Pavlyuchenko is behind Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane and Peter Crouch in the pecking order of strikers at White Hart Lane and he could miss out if his country qualify for the World Cup via the play-offs.

"Yes, there is that danger," Hiddink said on dailymail.co.uk. "It will depend on other strikers. I'm not going to take six forwards for one position."

Alexander Kerzhakov was left out of Hiddink's Euro 2008 squad, and the Dutchman added: "A similar situation could arise in 2010 and Roman should remember this. But we know how Pavlyuchenko can improve in the run-up to the World Cup.

"When we began preparing for Euro 2008, he was not in good form. But with three to four weeks of heavy training he lost four kilos and put himself in a position that allowed him to perform well at the European Championship."