Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp relieved by Michael Dawson's scan reports
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said that it was a big relief to know that his defender Michael Dawson would be back to full fitness in about two months’ time.
The Spurs defender was stretchered off from the pitch in England’s first Euro 2012 qualifier. England won the match against Bulgaria 4-0 on Friday. When the match resumed after the half-time break, Dawson suffered a freak injury when his leg collapsed without any apparent reason.
The defender was immediately sent to a hospital and later scans revealed that Dawson had sprained his left knee and suffered minor ligament damage in his left ankle. He is expected to be back in action in 8 weeks’ time.
Harry Redknapp said on the club’s official website: "First of all, it's a big blow for Michael and a great shame for him. But watching it live, I thought it could have been worse than it's turned out.
"It could have been his cruciate ligament and that would have been the end of the season for him but as it is, it's not such a long job and he should be back in a couple of months.”
The former Portsmouth manager said that the sudden injury to Dawson also makes his signing of William Gallas very important. Spurs signed William Gallas on a free transfer after his contract with Arsenal ended last month.
Redknapp said that if he had not signed Gallas, the club would have faced some serious problems as far as defensive backline is concerned. Harry said that Jonathan Woodgate is still struggling with his long-term injuries and Ledley King is feeling his way back in the team and cannot be played in every game. He said that Dawson had also been struggling with an Achilles injury, so signing Gallas was always something on his mind.
Redknapp also said that last season, Sebastien Bassong did an excellent job for the club, and there is enough cover in the squad for that position. However, there is no substitute for experience, and Gallas provides the team with exactly that.
Redknapp went on to say that this is the season for Spurs to take the next step in English football and in Europe, and they cannot afford to be lightweight in any department. He said that playing in the Champions League offers new challenges for the club and he would need all the depth he can get in his squad. The former Southampton boss said that last season, his team ended in the 4th spot for the first time, which was a great achievement. However, he would not want it to be a one-off thing and would make sure that Tottenham become a regular feature in the top 4 in the Premier League.
Harry Redknapp, while commenting on signing big names, said that now that his team had made it to the Champions League, there would be big money coming to the club, and the next transfer window may allow him to lure big names to the club. He said that in the past, there were a number of players who wanted to join Spurs, but the fact that they were not in action in Europe made the players change their minds.
Redknapp said that the signing of Rafael van der Vaart may turn out to be his biggest signing this season, and he is very excited to see him play in the English Premier League.
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