© EuroFootball.com
Before one of the most important games of the season in the battle for fourth place in the English Premier League - the North London derby between and clubs, both teams are facing injury problems - Tottenham will be without captain Ledley King, whose season has already ended, it is unclear if defender Anthony Gardner, defenders Edgar Davids and Teemu Tainio, and forward Mido will be available, while Sol Campbell is still recovering within Arsenal.
"Mido is already training, so we will make a decision about him on Monday, Anthony Gardner's chances to play on Saturday due to a calf injury are 50-50, Teemu Tanio should return to training on Friday, and Edgar Davids has a minor problem with his shin, but he is already training, and we hope that he will be able to play on Saturday," - hoped Tottenham manager Martin Jol.
Ledley King, who recently broke his leg, will not play this season, and if A. Gardener does not recover, the defensive duo with Michael Dawson will again be Calum Davenport, who performed decently in his debut match against "Man Utd" on Monday.
For now, Tottenham has a four-point advantage over their city rivals, but they have played more matches, so the derby could determine who will play in the Champions League next season. However, this will only happen if Arsenal does not win the tournament this year, because then the fourth qualifying spot from England would go to Arsenal.
"Everyone understands that these are probably the most important matches of the season for us, but we have already told the players that almost every week. If we manage to achieve a result at Arsenal's ground, no one can deny that we deserve our place. These are one of the last matches at Highbury, so it would be nice to achieve something," said M. Jol.
Meanwhile, in the Arsenal team, former Tottenham defender Sol Campbell will still not be available, as he returned to the lineup last week against Portsmouth but broke his nose and had to undergo surgery. According to team manager Arsene Wenger, the player should be ready for the Champions League semi-final rematch against Villarreal.
When asked if they will field a weaker lineup against Tottenham and give the main players a rest before a crucial European battle, A. Wenger said he has not yet decided: "To be honest, it's too early to talk about it. I need more time to think it all through. We want to beat Tottenham and find the best way to the final. I have to think about how to do that the best way."
A. Wenger also confirmed that left-backs Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy are recovering: "Gael Clichy looks ready, but I don't know if his foot still hurts. Ashley seems to no longer feel pain, but for now, he lags behind Gael in terms of physical condition. Let's give him two more weeks to prepare for the game.
