Harry Redknapp worried about Ledley King's fitness
Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp says he is worried that the fitness of defender Ledley King is rapidly deteriorating.
King has struggled to play more than one game per week for a number of months because of a constant knee problem. He is also forced to follow his own training routines as he cannot take part in any full
first team session.
King also picked up a groin strain during the 2-1 win away at Fulham. Redknapp says he is worried that the player's fitness will hit rock bottom if he's not able to train at any level.
King is one of the best defenders in Tottenham, which makes this such a taxing issue for Redknapp. However, some pundits will say that the writing has been on the wall for King for a long time.
A quality player
It's been clear for all to see that Ledley King has not been playing one hundred per cent fit for a long time. This makes the positive impact he has in games all the more remarkable.
King has the knack of getting into very good defensive positions on the pitch, which make tackles and clearing headers much easier. He is also very good at keeping the Spurs back four linked in an efficient
way.
King has not lost any part of his attacking effectiveness going forward. He is very aggressive from set pieces, which gives Spurs an extra option in attack. There are few other defenders in the club that
can do this as effectively.
"His problem is he can't train. He's been doing that for several years. But I think now he's picking up one or two more injuries. It's such a shame for him; he's such a great player. When you don't train,
you pick up injuries. If I go out and start trying to sprint up that pitch now without training, I'm going to go and tear a hamstring, or do a groin, or do a calf or something," said Redknapp.
Writing on the wall
A lot of football pundits will agree that King has been playing an unsustainable career for a long time. There is only so long a player can play at the highest level of the game without suffering one injury
too many.
It is a shame because King featured heavily at the World Cup over the summer with England. He is also clearly respected and admired by everyone at Spurs. However, Redknapp will start to become more reluctant
to let King play because of dodgy knees and delicate groins.
Fortunately for Spurs the club does have a solid replacement defender in William Gallas ready to play. Gallas has a lot of experience having spent long spells at Arsenal and Chelsea and should be effective
in King's absence.
"I thought, 'I'm better off getting two games out of him'. He's got to play as there's no-one else! Whether you can get three games in a week out of him, though, is going to be difficult. I'll probably
have to take a chance on Wednesday [in the Champions League against Inter Milan]," added Redknapp.
Betting advice
Spurs is ultimately a better team when King is fit and in the side. However, the club should be able to cope without him for a short period of time. The next Champions League game for the club is against
Inter Milan and this may be a task too tough for Spurs to handle.
When King returns to the team, don't be afraid to back him to score a goal against a smaller team.
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