Harry Redknapp set for return to Tottenham dugout after week in dock

TOTTENHAM manager Harry Redknapp will swap the dock for the dugout tonight and his men will be fully prepared to beat Watford despite his absence from training this week, according to assistant manager Kevin Bond.

Bond and first-team coaches Clive Allen and Joe Jordan have been in charge of training at the club’s Chigwell base this week while Redknapp has been contesting two charges of cheating the public purse at Southwark Crown Court.

Redknapp, who denies both charges, will be available to lead his team out in tonight’s FA Cup fourth-round clash against Championship side Watford, however. The 64-year-old will make the dash across London to Vicarage Road this evening and will pick the team, Bond confirmed.

Redknapp’s trusted assistant, who was in the public gallery at Southwark on Wednesday, was yesterday keen to emphasise it has been a case of business as usual at the club this week despite the absence of the manager.

Tottenham coped well when they were without their manager for two weeks in November after he underwent a heart procedure and Bond insists Redknapp’s absence has not had any effect on the squad this week. “Clearly the manager is not here, but [it has had] very little [effect] really,” Bond said. “The training carries on pretty much as normal and everybody has been getting on with things as normal so there’s not really a lot of difference except obviously Harry is not here during the day. He will be at the match and he will pick the team, of course.”

Bond and Redknapp usually make the 250-mile round trip from Dorset to Chigwell together, but the Spurs manager has been staying in London this week during the trial, which is expected to finish at the end of next week. The pair have been talking on the phone twice a day, however, with Redknapp keen to know how his players are getting on following last weekend’s agonising 3-2 defeat to Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester City.

City won the match in injury time thanks to a penalty from Mario Balotelli, who has since been banned for four games for a stamp on Scott Parker that went unpunished at the time.

Bond admits Spurs now only have a slim chance of winning their first championship in 51 years. “The City result and the way it came was a kick in the teeth,” he said. “We are eight points adrift [of City] so strictly speaking we are probably not [in the title race], but in three or four games’ time that might be different.

“Hopefully we can get closer to them than we are now and then we would be back in it.”

Thoughts of any fightback in the league will have to wait until Tuesday’s match against Wigan as Spurs face a tough hurdle against Sean Dyche’s men. Gareth Bale (thigh), Parker (hamstring) and Younes Kaboul (groin) are all doubts, but it is likely that none of the trio would have played as Redknapp is likely to rest several of his star players.

Champions League qualification remains Spurs’ main priority, meaning the likes of Steven Pienaar, Danny Rose and Niko Kranjcar should get some game time tonight, but Bond insists resting key players does not mean the club are not taking the FA Cup seriously.

“Champions League is our number one goal, but the FA Cup is hugely important to us,” the 54-year-old said.

Watford looked to be npower Championship play-off contenders until a recent poor run of form left them 18th in the table.