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Tottenham Hotspur picked up an extremely fortunate win when they went up against Rubin Kazan at White Hart Lane two weeks ago that helped the North London side put one foot in the next round of the Europa League.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp admitted after the game that the Roman Pavlyuchenko goal that handed his side an unlikely victory would allow him to send an experienced side to Russia having played against QPR on Sunday and with Fulham to come this weekend.
News filtered through on Wednesday morning that Redknapp himself would miss the trip because he is undergoing a medical procedure, the details of which his club has yet to reveal.
Assistant manager Kevin Bond and first-team coach Joe Jordan will assume first-team duties in his absence as Spurs look to maintain their two point advantage at the top of Group A from Greek side PAOK, with Rubin Kazan a further point back in third.
The Russian outfit certainly impressed on their visit to North London, with plenty of talent on display to indicate just how they beat Barcelona in the Champions League back in 2009.
While victory will all but secure Spurs a place in the next phase of the Europe League, Redknapp has already showed his preference to field the club’s youngsters in the competition while saving his more experienced men for the Premier league and their pursuit of a Champions League for next season.
Ledley King will certainly stay at home for the trip while the in-form Rafael Van Der Vaart, who recently joined Robbie Keane and Teddy Sheringham in becoming the only Spurs players to score in five consecutive league games will also miss out on the game.
Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Emmanuel Adebayor are also all likely to be rested, which means the likes of Jake Livermore, Danny Rose and Tom Carroll, who impressed in the fixture two weeks ago, will likely start.
Rubin Kazan meanwhile are unlikely to make any changes to the side that drew with Rostov at the weekend, with the right back position the only doubt for manager Kurban Berdyev as he decides between Oleg Kuzmin and Vitali Kaleshin for a starting spot.
Rubin are 11 points behind Russian Premier League leaders Zenit St Petersburg in 6th place, but have an excellent defensive record having conceded the second fewest goals in the country.
Spurs are in the middle of a purple patch having won six of their last seven league encounters, while they are also undefeated in European football.
Match Winner
Rubin Kazan’s exceptional performance at White Hart Lane has evidently had an effect on the bookmakers, with the majority backing the home side for a win. Paddy Power have the Russian side placed at 1.73 (8/11) for a much needed win, while Spurs, who will look to catch their hosts on the counter, are placed at 5.00 (4/1) with VC Bet. The draw is 4.00 (3/1) with Ladbrokes and well worth considering.
Correct Score
Both teams have excellent defensive record in Europe, with Spurs conceding only one goal in their games so far while Rubin have shipped only three, so a tight game should be expected.
The favourite scoreline is a 1-0 Rubin Kazan win which Bet365 have placed at 7.00 (6/1), however the amount of chances created in the corresponding fixture seemingly suggests this one has more goals in it than the bookies expect.
A 2-0 Rubin victory at 8.50 (15/2) with William Hill is more likely, but the manner of Tottenham’s play this season suggests they will register on the scoresheet, and with 2-1 and 3-1 to Rubin priced at 9.00 (8/1) with Ladbrokes and 15.00 (14/1) with William Hill respectively, there is better value to be found here.
Recommended Bets
Correct Score, Rubin Kazan 3-1 Tottenham: 15.00 (14/1) @ William Hill
First Goal Scorer, Nelson Valdez: 6.00 (5-1) @ BoyleSports
