Curtis Davies

Davies back on Spurs' agenda as Dawson out for fortnight


David Hytner
Tuesday August 14, 2007
The Guardian


Martin Jol will have to field another makeshift central defensive partnership against Everton at White Hart Lane tonight as Michael Dawson has been ruled out for at least two weeks with ankle ligament damage. The Tottenham manager is ready to go back into the transfer market for reinforcements in the position and is expected to make an offer for West Bromwich Albion's Curtis Davies.
Dawson turned his ankle in training last Friday, the final session before the squad flew to Sunderland for the Premier League opener on Saturday lunchtime. Although Dawson travelled in the hope of playing, the swelling meant he was left a frustrated onlooker. Scans have now revealed that the injury is worse than was first thought and the length of his recovery will depend on how he responds to treatment over the next 48 hours. If his progress is poor, then he may be out for more than a month.

Ledley King, the captain, is a long-term casualty after knee surgery and for the Sunderland game Jol was forced to make an emergency call back to London for Anthony Gardner, who had not been named in the original squad. He made the trip north early on Saturday morning to take his place in the team, alongside Younes Kaboul, the summer signing from Auxerre.

Jol went to Sunderland without all three of his recognised left-backs, Gareth Bale, Lee Young-pyo and Benoît Assou-Ekotto and asked Paul Stalteri, a right-back, to deputise. Pascal Chimbonda started at right-back and, although the defence kept Sunderland largely at arm's length, they were undone in injury-time by Michael Chopra's winner. The visit of Everton has assumed great importance and Jol is considering whether to recall Ricardo Rocha, the Portuguese centre-half, to partner Kaboul, who impressed on his debut.

The club are willing to entertain offers for Rocha and Gardner as they monitor closely Davies's situation at West Brom. Davies signed a new five-year contract after his club were relegated from the Premier League in 2006 but now wants to move on. He has submitted a transfer request and relinquished the club captaincy but Jeremy Peace, Albion's chairman, is sticking to his £8m valuation. Aston Villa have offered £6m with a further £1m based on appearances but that has not been accepted. Tottenham believe that Davies, who can also play at right-back, would prefer to join them. Neither Villa nor Tottenham, though, want to be drawn into an auction.