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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has said Gareth Bale is "very doubtful" because of an ankle injury.
Jermain Defoe may also miss out with a hamstring problem, Emmanuel Adebayor has a minor foot injury. Aaron Lennon is absent due to a hamstring tear. Chelsea captain John Terry has overcome the Achilles problem he suffered in training earlier this week. Ramires has recovered from a leg injury but fellow Brazilian David Luiz is still sidelined with a knee problem.
The days when Chelsea took to calling White Hart Lane 'Three Point Lane' following an extraordinary run of results against Tottenham are long gone. It is six years since the Blues won at Spurs' ground in the league and, given the two sides' respective displays so far this season, Harry Redknapp's team will go into the match as favourites.
After all, this is Tottenham's second-best start to a season in their 129-year history, surpassed only by their double-winning team of 1960-61. There were fears that defeat to Stoke in their previous game could derail their start, but Sunday's resolute win over Sunderland gave further credence to Sir Alex Ferguson's belief that Tottenham have been the top-flight's most impressive team this season.
For a team that relies on pace from the wings, being deprived of Gareth Bale before kick-off and then losing fellow wideman Aaron Lennon midway through the first-half could have left Spurs in the lurch. But a tactical reshuffle from Redknapp proved to be a masterstroke and Roman Pavlyuchenko stepped off the bench to score the winner.
After their crucial win over Manchester City, Chelsea were brought back down to earth with a bump as strugglers Wigan nicked a late draw."
Every step forward that Andre Villas-Boas takes in the early stages of his managerial career at Chelsea seems to be followed by one back. Lose at Tottenham and any dreams of handing demanding owner Roman Abramovich the title in his first season at Stamford Bridge will seemingly be all but gone.
One player Abramovich will be admiring from the stands will be Tottenham's Luka Modric, for whom the clubs fought out a long and protracted transfer battle this summer. Tottenham won and the Croatian must now be feeling quite glad that his move was vetoed by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, given the turmoil and unrest that has beset the Blues this season.
The days when Chelsea took to calling White Hart Lane 'Three Point Lane' following an extraordinary run of results against Tottenham are long gone. It is six years since the Blues won at Spurs' ground in the league and, given the two sides' respective displays so far this season, Harry Redknapp's team will go into the match as favourites.
After all, this is Tottenham's second-best start to a season in their 129-year history, surpassed only by their double-winning team of 1960-61. There were fears that defeat to Stoke in their previous game could derail their start, but Sunday's resolute win over Sunderland gave further credence to Sir Alex Ferguson's belief that Tottenham have been the top-flight's most impressive team this season.
For a team that relies on pace from the wings, being deprived of Gareth Bale before kick-off and then losing fellow wideman Aaron Lennon midway through the first-half could have left Spurs in the lurch. But a tactical reshuffle from Redknapp proved to be a masterstroke and Roman Pavlyuchenko stepped off the bench to score the winner.
After their crucial win over Manchester City, Chelsea were brought back down to earth with a bump as strugglers Wigan nicked a late draw."
Every step forward that Andre Villas-Boas takes in the early stages of his managerial career at Chelsea seems to be followed by one back. Lose at Tottenham and any dreams of handing demanding owner Roman Abramovich the title in his first season at Stamford Bridge will seemingly be all but gone.
One player Abramovich will be admiring from the stands will be Tottenham's Luka Modric, for whom the clubs fought out a long and protracted transfer battle this summer. Tottenham won and the Croatian must now be feeling quite glad that his move was vetoed by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, given the turmoil and unrest that has beset the Blues this season.
