England Premier League Media

England and Tottenham defender Michael Dawson faces an anxious wait to find out the extent of the knee injury he sustained against Bulgaria on Friday.

The centre-half went over on his right leg in the second half of England’s Euro 2012 qualifying 4-0 Wembley win.

The 26-year-old was stretchered off in apparent agony before the hour mark.

“I have to wait to find out about Dawson,” said England manager Fabio Capello. “We have to wait for the tests, but no-one else had problems.”

The injury took the shine off an otherwise impressive opening to England’s Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

Jermain Defoe’s hat-trick combined with a first goal for England for Adam Johnson saw the hosts run out comfortable winners at Wembley to start the rebuilding process after their World Cup failure on a positive note.

But Dawson’s injury means Capello will almost certainly have to make at least one change for Tuesday’s qualifier in Switzerland.

That could mean a recall for West Ham defender Matthew Upson alongside Phil Jagielka, though Bolton stopper Gary Cahill acquitted himself well after coming off the bench to replace Dawson for the final half an hour against Bulgaria.

First-choice pairing John Terry and Rio Ferdinand are out of the reckoning with hamstring and knee problems respectively.

Jonathan Woodgate’s future is further in doubt after Tottenham left the 30-year-old defender out of their 25-man Premier League squad because of injury.

Manchester United have included injury-plagued midfielder Owen Hargreaves, while striker Roque Santa Cruz makes Manchester City’s roster.

Stoke have omitted forward Mamady Sidibe, who snapped an Achilles tendon.

Arsenal have not listed any Englishmen but Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere are among the English under-21 contingent.

Michael Kightly has also been left out of Wolves’ squad for the first half of the season because of knee problems.

The 24-year-old winger has not played since November 2009 and is likely to be sent out on loan once he is fully fit.

Hargreaves has made only a solitary substitute appearance in the last two years for Manchester United as he battles tendinitis.

Santa Cruz figures in City manager Roberto Mancini’s

25-man Premier League squad,

despite much speculation that the Paraguayan striker would not.

Santa Cruz joins up with Mario Balotelli, Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Jo in a fearsome array of firepower which will be at Mancini’s disposal.

The new Premier League rule required clubs to name a squad of 25 senior players by 1700 BST, 1 September, with only players under the age of 21 allowed to supplement that line-up until January.

The Premier League says the new rules are designed to increase the number of young “home-grown” players in the Premier League, with a long-term aim of giving more options to the England manager.

In August Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said Woodgate might be forced to retire unless he underwent surgery on his injured groin.

“He’s been all around the world, he’s seen two specialists and he’s going to get one more opinion,” said Redknapp.

“No-one could have tried harder but he just can’t find a cure for it. The operation seems a last chance.”

Former England defender Woodgate made only three appearances last season and has not played since November 2009.

Also omitted from the Spurs squad submitted to the Premier League today was goalkeeper Ben Alnwick, with new loan signing Stipe Pletikosa now providing back-up to Heurelho Gomes and Carlo Cudicini.

Winger Kightly has made a big impact since joining Wolves from non-league Grays Athletic in 2007.

However, he was plagued by injury for the last year, suffering a broken foot, an ankle problem and then a knee injury that has sidelined him since November.

“It will take as long as it takes, and there’s no time limit on it,” manager Mick McCarthy told the club website.

“When he’s ready we’ll be able to discuss the possibility of going out on loan, which he can do before we have a chance to revise the squad in January.”

Stephen Hunt, who is recovering from foot surgery, has been included along with new recruit Marcus Bent, a deadline day loan signing from Birmingham, who has now joined his 14th team.

The 32-year-old says he thinks he can still make an impact at the highest level.

“Once you stop believing in yourself you might as well hang up your boots,” he said.

“As a footballer, you try and push yourself every day to achieve more and more. I’ll never stop learning. I might be one of the older members of the squad here but I can still get better. I am sure the boys will teach me some stuff and hopefully I can teach them some stuff.”

Tottenham have secured the signing of Real Madrid midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart for 8m.

Spurs moved to sign the 27-year-old Netherlands international two hours before the transfer window closed at 1800 BST on Tuesday.

But the club’s urgency to file the necessary paperwork before the deadline was hampered by a technical problem.

However, the Premier League sanctioned the signing after investigating Tottenham’s claims on Wednesday.

Spurs faced an anxious wait as the Premier League assessed their claims with the 1700 BST cut-off point on Wednesday fast approaching for clubs to submit their 25-man senior squads for the first half of the season.

Van der Vaart becomes Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp’s second deadline-day signing following the capture of Croatia goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa on a season-long loan from Russian club Spartak Moscow.

Real had disputed Redknapp’s claims that Bayern Munich had earlier made an offer of more than double their bid for Van der Vaart.

Redknapp said on Tuesday: “It was a last-minute job. I think he was going to Bayern Munich on Monday for 18m and suddenly he became much cheaper.

“They let me know around 4pm (1600 BST) that he was available for 8m and, for that money, he is a top player who will definitely improve us. The fee has come crashing down because the deadline is so close.”

However, Real’s statement said: “It is absolutely false that Real Madrid received a 21m euro (18m) offer from Bayern Munich for Van der Vaart.

“In fact, the German team never showed an interest to sign the player, so the allegations made in England have greatly surprised us.”

Van der Vaart helped his country reach the final of the 2010 World Cup and made his reputation as a playmaker at Ajax before switching to German side Hamburg.

He spent three seasons at the Bundesliga club before moving to Real Madrid in August 2008 where he appears to have become surplus to requirements as their new manager Jose Mourinho stamps his authority on the club.

With 83 international caps for the Netherlands, 16 goals, including two European Championships and World Cups, Van der Vaart will give Tottenham experience and creativity to Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp’s attack in the Champions League as well as domestically.

Redknapp also confirmed he had made an enquiry about Liverpool winger Ryan Babel but “never came close” to landing him.

Tottenham have completed the signing of Croatian goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa on a season-long loan from Spartak Moscow.

The 31-year-old joins after impressing on a recent trial at White Hart Lane.

Pletikosa, capped at every level by Croatia from under-15 upwards, has won 80 international caps and was named the Croatian player of the Year in 2002.

He will act as cover for Brazilian Heurelho Gomes, who is currently nursing a leg injury, and Italian keeper Carlo Cudicini.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp says his team will be a match for anyone in the Champions League group stages.

Spurs defeated Young Boys 4-0 at White Hart Lane on Wednesday to qualify for Europe’s elite competition for the first time since the 1961-62 season.

Clashes with the likes of holders Inter Milan and Barcelona await but the Spurs boss insists he is not daunted.

“We’ll take on anybody now,” said Redknapp. “We’re in the group stage and we’ll give anyone a good game here.”

A Peter Crouch hat-trick and a goal from Jermain Defoe delighted the Tottenham faithful as the north Londoners turned around a 3-2 deficit from the first leg to go through 6-3 on aggregate against the Swiss side from Bern.

The draw for the group stage takes place in Monaco at 1700 BST, with Spurs in the third pot of seeds, meaning they are almost certain to face an uphill task to reach the knockout stages.

“We are a good side with good players and it will be a great experience for us,” added Redknapp, who said he would celebrate at home with a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich.

“It’s fantastic. When I came here the dream was to get into the group stage and we’ve achieved that, so that is something to look forward to.

“I won’t be pestering the chairman to go and spend his money because we’ve got some good players here already.

“Unless there is someone who I think can improve the squad, I won’t be pushing to spend any money.”

Redknapp quit Portsmouth to take over at Spurs in October 2008. The team were bottom of the Premier League table after taking only two points from their first eight games.

The club recovered to finish eighth and the following year – in Redknapp’s first full season in charge – they secured fourth place and entry into the Champions League qualifiers.

“I always felt it was possible,” reflected Redknapp. “Tottenham were a club which had underachieved for a long time.

“The potential was here if we could get the players, and it is not as if I have bought a new team, it was just about instilling a bit of confidence, getting them playing and maybe changing their attitude in some cases. They responded and we have ended up where we have.”

Former Spurs centre-half Graham Roberts paid tribute to Redknapp’s achievements in transforming the fortunes of a team that was in freefall under Spanish boss Juande Ramos.

“To take Tottenham from bottom of the league to the Champions League in 20 months is out of this world,” Roberts, who won two FA Cups and a Uefa Cup with Spurs in the early 1980s, told BBC Sport.

“Along with Sir Alex Ferguson we’ve got the best manager in British football and we don’t want to lose him.

“I think he changed the mentality of the players. I went to the training ground when Ramos was in charge and saw that it was very difficult for him to get his message across.

“Harry puts his arms around people and treats players with respect. He’s done it all his life and he knows how to get the best out of players.”

In Tottenham’s only previous European Cup campaign, a side managed by Bill Nicholson reached the semi-finals before losing to Benfica over two legs.

The following season, they became the first British club to win continental silverware by winning the Cup Winners’ Cup.

“This is a club with European tradition, under the great Bill Nicholson,” said Redknapp, who was a schoolboy on the books at Spurs at the time.

“I would not be in the same class as him, and never will be, but it is great for the club to be in this position now.”

A Peter Crouch hat-trick helped Tottenham secure their debut in the lucrative Champions League group stages as they saw off Swiss side Young Boys.

Spurs trailed 3-2 from the first leg of the qualifier but drew level when Crouch headed in a Gareth Bale cross.

Jermain Defoe appeared to control the ball with his arm before lashing in a controversial second for Spurs.

Crouch powered in a header and added his third with a penalty after Senad Lulic was sent off for a foul on Bale.

Spurs will now be eagerly awaiting the draw for the Champions League group stages on Thursday as they take their place among Europe’s elite for the first time since 1961/62.

Their place had been far from guaranteed after their first-leg defeat but the thought of throwing away the hard work they had put in to finish fourth in the Premier League last season helped provide the inspiration to overcome Young Boys.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp wanted his side to launch an onslaught on the Youngs Boys goal from the off and the home side set about the visitors with a pace and energy which quickly earned them the lead.

Crouch had scored the goal against Manchester City to secure a top four top-flight spot for Tottenham last season and he was left unmarked to steer in a header at the far post from Bale’s floated cross.

The home side were pressing Young Boys high up the pitch with the type of dynamism their play lacked on the artificial surface of the first leg.

Spurs were dominant but had a slice of luck as Defoe contentiously added to their lead in his final game before undergoing surgery on a groin injury.

He appeared to handle the ball as he controlled a Bale pass and, despite pausing guiltily after lashing in a left-footed shot, the extra official behind the Young Boys goal failed to see the offence and the goal was was given.

Defoe dragged another effort just wide and the only worry for Spurs was keeper Heurelho Gomes signalling that he wanted to come off with an injury only to be kept on by Redknapp.

The move nearly backfired when Xavier Hochstrasser sent a dipping strike just wide of the Spurs goal, with Gomes looking as if he would struggled to save it if it had been on target.

Gomes and his defenders then left a Mark Costanzo cross to each other, but Henri Bienvenu sent his header over the bar.

The Brazilian goalkeeper was then belatedly replaced by Carlo Cudicini at the interval.

Those chances for the Swiss side left a hint of anxiety among the home faithful, but that was all but vanquished when Crouch put Spurs 3-0 up.

The England striker had seen Marco Wolfli block his shot from point-blank range but the Swiss keeper had no chance when Crouch beat Ammar Jemal to a Bale cross and headed in for a now rampant Spurs.

Having set up all three goals for Spurs, the influential Bale then won a penalty after being brought down by Lulic.

Crouch stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way from the spot to complete his hat-trick and leave the Spurs faithful to joyously revel in the glory of the awaiting Champions League group stages, which could be worth in excess of 20m.

Jermain Defoe’s scheduled groin surgery may not take place at all, Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has revealed.

Spurs striker Defoe was due to have an operation on Tuesday, with an expected absence of two to four weeks.

But, after scoring in Wednesday’s 4-0 Champions League play-off win over Young Boys, Defoe now feels his groin is “OK”, according to Redknapp.

Defoe could, therefore, be available for England’s Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland.

England boss Fabio Capello’s side take on the Bulgarians at Wembley on Friday, 3 September, followed by a trip to Basel to take on Ottmar Hitzfeld’s Swiss side four days later.

Spurs, though, will assess the problem again after Saturday’s Premier League match against Wigan at White Hart Lane.

Redknapp said: “If there’s no pain [after the Wigan game] then he won’t have to have the op. If he feels it then we’ll get the op done.”

Redknapp had previously stated he was keen for Defoe to have the surgery despite the 27-year-old’s positive assessment of the injury.

“I would rather he get it done, I don’t want it dragging on all year for him,” Redknapp had said.

“There is a fortnight [international] break coming up and he could be fit in three weeks if he has it done on Tuesday.

Defoe had been due to have the operation last Thursday but the German specialist who recently performed a similar operation on team-mate Alan Hutton was unavailable until next week.

Harry Redknapp has revealed Tottenham are not prepared to meet Sevilla’s “crazy” asking price for Luis Fabiano.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has enquired about Fabiano, the 29-year-old Brazilian striker who has said he would “love” to move to White Hart Lane.

Spurs boss Redknapp said: “He’s a player I like but they’re talking crazy money for him, for a player that age.

“One year left on his contract, in excess of 24-25m, the figures don’t stack up. That wouldn’t be a goer.”

Fabiano caught the eye at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, thriving alongside Robinho in Brazil’s attack and finding the net three times before his country were eventually eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

Fabiano first came to prominence at Brazilian side Sao Paulo before moving to Porto in 2004.

His form took a dive in Portugal, though, and he was sold to Sevilla in 2005 after scoring only three goals in 22 matches.

He enjoyed instant success in Andalucia, scoring in the club’s 4-0 2006 Uefa Cup final win over Middlesbrough and, the following season, finishing as Spain’s second highest goalscorer in all competitions.

Fabiano’s prolific scoring prompted AC Milan to make an unsuccessful bid for him in the summer of 2009, and his bright World Cup displays saw Tottenham enter the frame in the summer.

Despite scoring one goal for his team, Fabiano saw Sevilla miss out on qualification for the group stages of the Champions League on Tuesday as they lost the second leg of their play-off 4-3 to crash out 5-3 on aggregate against Portuguese club Braga.

Spurs, on the other hand, will play in the Champions League proper for the first time as they progressed 6-3 on aggregate after a 4-0 win at home to Swiss team Young Boys.

The prospect of playing among Europe’s elite may have further enticed Fabiano to north London, however, Redknapp’s reluctance to meet Sevilla’s valuation, despite the financial injection that Champions League football will bring, appears to killed off the chance of any immediate move.

On Thursday, Tottenham were drawn in the same group as holders Inter Milan, German club Werder Bremen and Dutch champions FC Twente.

On Saturday, Spurs, with four points from two games so far, resume their Premier League campaign at home to Wigan.

Tottenham have completed the signing of former Arsenal and Chelsea defender William Gallas on a free transfer.

The 33-year-old France international, who underwent a medical on Friday, has agreed terms on a one-year deal with an option to extend.

“He’s a no-brainer on a free transfer,” said boss Harry Redknapp last week.

“He’s never asked for big money here. The chairman’s agreed a one-year contract with him and the wages are more than reasonable.”

It is understood that Gallas has agreed to take a wage cut to join Spurs after rejecting an offer from Arsenal over the summer that amounted to a pay cut and shortened deal.

Redknapp is unworried by the defender’s connections to Arsenal or Chelsea. Gallas spent four years at the Gunners after spending five years at Stamford Bridge before that.

“It’s all cobblers,” Redknapp said ahead of the completed deal. “What’s he done? It’s not the Yorkshire Ripper I’m signing, is it? He’s a footballer, he plays football.

“He’s not the first player to go from Arsenal to Tottenham or Tottenham to Arsenal. It happens all the time. He’s a great lad as well, smashing fellow.

“I’ve been absolutely really impressed with him. He’ll improve Tottenham and that’s all I’m concerned about.”

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger gave Gallas his best wishes on the move across north London, and intimated his exit was somewhat inevitable following the summer arrival of centre-back Laurent Koscielny from Lorient.

“I can completely understand that,” said Wenger. “At the moment he’s looking for a club, he’s free. He has chosen the best possible option for him.

“We are thankful for what he has done for us and we wish him good luck in his new club.”

And asked if Gallas could come back to haunt his old club, the Frenchman added: “There is just a little bit of a risk that he is a bit more exposed in the derby, but we have seen that before.”

With Jonathan Woodgate still out with a long-term groin injury and captain Ledley King plagued by knee problems that limit his playing time, Redknapp has been keen to bolster his defensive resources.

Gallas, who will also provide competition to centre-backs Michael Dawson, Sebastien Bassong and Younes Kaboul, was not registered for European competition so he will be unable to play against Young Boys in the second leg of Spurs’ Champions League qualifier on Wednesday.

Redknapp admitted that the acquisition of Gallas may not mark the end of his summer spending, with Brazilian Sandro being Tottenham’s only other capture of this transfer window.

The 21-year-old defensive midfielder will arrive at the club next week after helping Internacional to the Copa Libertadores title against Mexico’s Chivas Gudalajara.

A 7m deal for Sandro was agreed back in March but the player – who has been learning English since then – was allowed to stay with Internacional for as long as the club were in the Copa Libertadores.

“It was the farewell of my dreams,” he said after lifting the trophy on Wednesday. “I dreamed of being champion and leaving with this trophy in my luggage.”

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe will have an operation on a groin injury next week that will keep him out of England’s Euro 2012 qualifiers.

The 27-year-old will still be available to play in his club’s Champions League tie against Young Boys on Wednesday.

But the injury, which Defoe has suffered since the World Cup, means he could be out for up to a month.

England kick off their European qualification campaign against Bulgaria and Switzerland on 3 and 7 September.

Defoe missed Tottenham’s trip to Stoke last Saturday because of the problem and will sit out the club’s upcoming Premier League games against West Brom and Wolves.

But although Spurs boss Harry Redknapp said he would be out for a minimum of two weeks, the forward could play some part in the crucial Champions League qualifier against Swiss side Young Boys in which the London club trail 3-2.

He could also be available for the Premier League match at home to Wigan this weekend before he goes under the knife.

Redknapp said: “It might only be half a game he can last now, but it’s getting less each time – the pain’s getting worse.

“He wants to play and train all the time but he’s got to have it done now. He can’t go on like that.”

Defoe had been due to have the operation last Thursday but the German specialist who recently performed a similar operation on team-mate Alan Hutton was unavailable until next week.

Redknapp added: “He’s not trained a lot. When he has trained, he’s been all right, he’s been sticking goals in.

“But then he’s had days off where he couldn’t train and he’s getting worse, he’s getting worse all the time. Sixty minutes is about as much as he can last.”