Redknapp ready for League Cup endurance test

Harry Redknapp admits Tottenham's threadbare squad will be tested to the full before he can look forward to a return to Wembley.

Redknapp enjoyed the first taste of Wembley success in his long career when he led Portsmouth to FA Cup final victory over Cardiff last season and he is on the verge of another trip to the English national stadium.

Now in charge at Tottenham, Redknapp will be walking out at Wembley again on March 1 if his new side can overcome Burnley in the League Cup semi-finals.

Tottenham, who beat Chelsea in last season's final, can take a giant step towards defending the trophy with a victory over the Championship club in the first leg at White Hart Lane on Tuesday.

But Redknapp fears a hectic schedule of four games in 12 days could stretch his injured-ravaged squad to breaking point.

Such is the severity of the injury crisis that Redknapp has been forced to call up that players who weren't even given squad numbers at the start of the season.

Tom Huddlestone and Jermaine Jenas have been sidelined recently, while Ledley King cannot play matches in quick succession and Alan Hutton is out for the season.

The groin injury suffered by England striker Darren Bent in Friday's FA Cup win over Wigan has left Redknapp with another headache.

“Everyone fit was involved,” Redknapp said. “The players cast aside at the start of the season made up most of the bench so God knows how the club would have survived if I hadn't brought them back in.

“There is such a shortage here. In terms of quality, there are 40 or 50 that have dinner every day but there are only about 14 or 15 who can play in the Premier League.

“When I was at Portsmouth last year we had 10 good defenders and eight central midfielders for three positions. That is the strength we had and here it is completely the opposite. We need three or four players.”

Redknapp's problems are not confined to the treatment room as he feels the fans' negative reaction to Hossam Ghaly and Gilberto means they cannot play.

“We've got two fit strikers and two players who can't play because the crowd don't like them,” Redknapp added.

Tottenham's path to a final showdown against Manchester United or Derby County seems relatively straight forward to the untrained eye, but Burnley have already claimed three famous scalps in the competition this season.

Owen Coyle's side have eliminated London based Premier League teams Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal en route to the last four and now they are ready to dish out another dose of capital punishment.

Redknapp checked out Burnley during their FA Cup draw at QPR on Saturday and Coyle believes he will have been impressed with what he saw.

“I think Harry will have learned there is a terrific spirit about the club. He will have learned that we have some good players,” Coyle said.

“But we are under no illusions that we are massive underdogs on Tuesday. If Tottenham play to their maximum and we do, they will think they have the better players.

“What I know is that the group of players I have will give everything they've got to try to achieve a result, so that home advantage will hopefully play a part in the second leg.

“We have to make sure we give an accomplished performance and we keep ourselves right in that game, but we go there with no designs on being negative.”