LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has said Jonathan Woodgate could go out on loan in a bid to boost the defender’s recovery from a longstanding groin injury. But he was adamant Luka Modric would not be going anywhere despite reports Premier League champions Chelsea were interested in the Croatia playmaker.
Former Real Madrid centre-back Woodgate returned to training this week after more than a year out of action. Redknapp reckons the 30-year-old could return to first-team action in two weeks’ time and said a loan spell might be just the thing Woodgate needs. “I spoke to Jonathan and I said to him that if he comes through the next couple of weeks then it might be a good idea for him to go out on loan to play some matches and I think he fancies that,” Redknapp said Friday.
“He has been out a long time and he is a fantastic centre half. “Anyone who loans Jonathan Woodgate is getting one of the best centre halves in the Premier League and I would be willing to do that just to give him some games.” Woodgate’s career has been blighted by back and knee injuries, while his groin problem restricted him to just three appearances last season.
Redknapp, who signed Woodgate from Middlesbrough in January 2008, wants the former Leeds man to show the kind of form that saw Real pay 13 million pounds for him back in 2004. “If he’d have been out for the rest of the season, I don’t know whether he’d come back from that,” said Redknapp, who has several central defenders in his squad in William Gallas, Sebastien Bassong, Younes Kaboul, Michael Dawson and Ledley King. “He has been out a long time but at least he’s back training, feels good and looks in good shape. This period is make or break time for him really. “He needs to get out, play some games and show he’s ready to get his career going again.” As for Modric leaving Spurs, currently fifth in the table and seven points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United, Redknapp said: “He is such a fantastic player, if we start selling such a player like that then we might as well all go home. “He is a different class and is not going anywhere. Not a chance.” Tottenham forward Robbie Keane has been linked with a move to Aston Villa, Birmingham or West Ham after falling behind Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Peter Crouch and Rafael van der Vaart in the pecking order at White Hart Lane.
But Redknapp said Spurs had yet to receive an offer for the Republic of Ireland international. “Robbie would like to move and he wants to play. He is a boy who has played all his career. He is not used to not playing. “He is still a top player and would grace most clubs. It’s just that he has been unfortunate with Rafa (van der Vaart) coming in and I’ve been playing one up with him. I have Defoe, Crouch, Pavlyuchenko and Robbie so it’s been difficult getting him in the team. “I haven’t heard anything about any offers for him though.” Tottenham defender William Gallas is set to miss Sunday’s league match away to Aston Villa after failing to recover from a hamstring injury. But Niko Kranjcar, Jermaine Jenas, van der Vaart and Kaboul are fit after recovering from injury problems. Ledley King (groin) has trained this week but is not fit enough to play.
