Defoe out for a month
Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe will be out of action for at least a month as he is set to have groin surgery in the next few days.
Defoe has been carrying a groin injury since the World Cup and is believed that Spurs want him to get the issue sorted out sooner rather than later so he can play a full part in the rest of the season.
Manager Harry Redknapp said: "He's not trained a lot. When he has trained, he's been all right, he's been sticking goals in. But then he's had days off where he couldn't train. And he's getting worse, he's getting worse all the time."
The news will come as a big blow to Spurs because Defoe possesses a range of skills that make him a productive player at the top level of football. Fortunately the club has a number of players who can come in and fill the gap.
Skills and pace
Defoe is one of the quickest players in the Tottenham side. He has the ability to stretch an opposition defence wide open whether he is trying to run in behind or create space for other players.
He is arguably the best finisher in the Tottenham team when the ball is played to him in front of goal. There are not many players who can think on their feet as quickly in order to make sure the ball hits the back of the net.
Replacements
Spurs will toy over who can come in and replace Defoe in the team. Robbie Keane is the ideal type of player to come in because he has a lot of attributes that mirror the way Defoe plays.
Redknapp has never been a manager who likes playing two big strikers up front and this is what would happen if he went for Roman Pavlyuchenko instead of Robbie Keane.
Redknapp added: "It might only be half a game he can last now, but it's getting less each time – the pain's getting worse. He wants to play and train all the time but he's got to have it done now. He can't go on like that."
Betting advice
If Robbie Keane gets the nod then he will thrive on this opportunity. He has the ability to score a lot of goals so take a punt on him scoring in Spurs' next couple of games.
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