Tottenham v Wigan Atletic preview

By Neil Gunner
January 5 2007

Wigan Athletic travel to White Hart Lane this Sunday to take on Tottenham Hotspur. Wigan look to continue their unbeaten run after their recent spell of excellent form has pushed them upto tenth in the premiership.

Wigan striker Emile Heskey is again a doubt with his calf injury, although he has resumed training this week and is progressing well. Both Fitz Hall and Leighton Baines are also major doubts in the latics defence which could see Andy Webster and Matt Jackson step back into the breech to cover.

Following last weeks excellent performance in the scoreless draw against Aston Villa Paul Jewell is likely to name a mainly unchanged side for the trip to White Hart Lane. Although Mike Pollitt looks set to be back in the squad following his recall from his loan spell at Ipswich due to a John Filan injury which he sustained in a reserve match earlier this week.

Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas has a calf injury and is a concern, but Aaron Lennon, Pascal Chimbonda and Teemu Tainio should all feature again. Paul Stalteri and Anthony Gardner will both miss out with knee problems.

There is bound to be a focus on Pascal Chimbonda after the saga in which the way the right back left his former club under a storm cloud. Much was made of this issue over the summer months after Pascal handed in a transfer request on the last day of last season.

Paul Jewell had this to say on the issue "I can understand why he went because any player or manager would be interested in playing for, or managing, one of the top four or five clubs in this country.

"But we live and learn. From my point of view, I think we handled the situation very well. We got a really good price - £4.5m - and I bear no hard feelings."

Wigan are still pursuing a first victory over Spurs. They lost at home to them last season and drew this corresponding fixture 2-2.


Probable Teams :

Tottenham (from): Robinson, Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, Lee, King, Assou-Ekotto, Davids, Huddlestone, Ziegler, Murphy, Malbranque, Tainio, Zokora, Lennon, Defoe, Keane, Berbatov, Mido.

Wigan (from): Kirkland, Pollitt, Boyce, Webster, Jackson, De Zeeuw, Cotterill, Landzaat, Scharner, Kilbane, Heskey, McCulloch, Camara, Johansson, Todorov, Wright.

REFEREE
Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)

Score Prediction :

Tottenham 0 Wigan Athletic 2