Tottenham v Birmingham preview

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Harry Redknapp could have a number of his Spurs first-team regulars back from injury for Sunday’s match, but Rafael van der Vaart is a big doubt with a calf problem he suffered last week against Liverpool.

Alan Hutton (knee), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (hamstring) and Jermaine Jenas (thigh) are all fit but star winger Gareth Bale remains sidelined with an ankle injury.

Steven Pienaar is a doubt with a groin problem, but Heurelho Gomes (back), Tom Huddlestone (ankle), Wilson Palacios (knee) and Ledley King (groin) could all play despite spending time in the treatment room recently.

Craig Gardner and Liam Ridgewell return after two and one-match suspensions respectively for Birmingham, who need to at least equal the results of Blackpool and Wigan to ensure Premier League survival.

Blues boss Alex McLeish will check on the fitness of Lee Bowyer (hamstring), Martin Jiranek (ankle) and Stuart Parnaby (groin) who were all substituted against Fulham.

Alexander Hleb is definitely ruled out with a knee setback suffered against the Cottagers while on-loan Tottenham winger David Bentley is ineligible to face his parent club.

Tottenham (from): Gomes, Cudicini, Pletikosa, Hutton, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Dawson, Kaboul, King, Woodgate, Lennon, Jenas, Huddlestone, Pienaar, Sandro, Modric, Jenas, Rose, Kranjcar, Palacios, Van der Vaart, Defoe, Pavlyuchenko, Crouch.

Birmingham (from): Foster, Carr, Johnson, Jiranek, Ridgewell, Parnaby, Murphy, Larsson, Ferguson, Gardner, Bowyer, Jerome, Phillips, Doyle, Fahey, Derbyshire, Mutch, Davies, Beausejour.