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Instead of being euphoric that Tottenham has reached the League Cup final for the second season in a row, manager Harry Redknapp fears his team is in no shape to take on Manchester United at Old Trafford in the FA Cup.
Spurs appeared on the way out of the League Cup semifinals when they trailed 3-0 to League Championship club Burnley on Wednesday until two goals in two minutes at the end of extra time put them through on aggregate to the March 1 final, coincidentally against Man United.
Now, Redknapp believes his injury-hit team could struggle against the Red Devils on Saturday.
“Some key players have got injured and I will go there with the weakest team I can possibly find on Saturday,” Redknapp said. “This is a football club which has been put together by I don’t know who and I don’t know how. There is a load of mishmash players and it’s scary.”
Redknapp took over at White Hart Lane after Tottenham fired Juande Ramos in late October and, although he began with five victories in eight games, the team has slipped back into relegation trouble.
At least Spurs face a Man United team also hit by injuries.
After beating Derby 4-2 on Tuesday to reach the League Cup final, United reported that Anderson, Rafael, Nani and Johnny Evans had joined the club’s treatment list, which already includes Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown and long-term knee injury victim Owen Hargreaves.
The match brings together United, the record 11-time FA Cup winners, and a club which has won the oldest and most prestigious cup competition eight times but not since 1991.
The other eye-catching fourth-round match is Liverpool at home to neighbours Everton on Sunday, six days after they drew 1-1 in the Premier League.
That draw meant Rafa Benitez’s team missed a chance to return to the top of the league and now trail United by a point.
Sunderland are home to Blackburn in the only other Premier League confrontation, with the rest of the topflight survivors facing clubs from the lower divisions.
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