Tottenham’s weekend victory over in-form Everton has placed them firmly back in the race for the EPL’s fourth spot and the attendant lucrative Champions League qualification.   However, their campaign is being threatened by injuries to key personnel, with England winger Aaron Lennon, centre-back Jonathan Woodgate and midfielder Tom Huddlestone out of the side for the foreseeable future.   Spurs also had to close their training ground at Chigwell in Essex after a number of players and staff came down with a mystery bug in the lead-up to Sunday’s Everton game.   Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp praised his side’s first half display against the Toffees, which left them two-up at the break, thanks to an early goal from the suddenly prolific Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko and a delightfully chipped effort from Croatian midfield star Luka Modric.

However, they turned from “terrific” in the first half to “edgy” in the second half and would probably have dropped at least two points had Everton’s US international Landon Donovan not hit the side-netting from a yard and a half with the score at 2-1 and eleven minutes still remaining.

Huddlestone, who had played a key part in Spurs’ opening goal, went off injured early in the second half and left the ground wearing a special protective right boot.

A statement on the club website two days later revealed the possible extent of the damage. It read: “Scans revealed that Tom has suffered damage to the ligaments in his right ankle. He will see a specialist before deciding on the best course of rehab.”

The news comes on top of reports that central defender Jonathan Woodgate may miss the rest of the season. Redknapp admitted that “it’s going to be doubtful” whether his groin injury will clear up in time.

And Lennon, out since Boxing Day, is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines, which is damaging both to Spurs and the 22-year-old’s prospects of playing in this summer’s World Cup Finals in South Africa.

Lennon was hopeful of making the squad for the Everton game but suffered a reaction after weekend training and has been advised to rest the injury until April.

In response to this injury mini-crisis, with midfielder Jermaine Jenas and defender Ledley King also injured, Spurs have recalled 20-year-old midfielder Jake Livermore from his loan spell at Championship strugglers Peterborough.

First-team regulars Wilson Palacios and Vedran Corluka were among 18 players and staff laid low by a bug which forced the training ground closure.

The closure forced Spurs to move their pre-match press conference to White Hart Lane; with Redknapp claiming that “a few of the press boys” who recently had been at the ground had caught the bug.

A club statement confirmed that “a number of academy scholars and first-team players” had been ordered away from Chigwell and administrative staff were asked to “work from home.”

Both Palacios and Corluka played the full 90 minutes against Everton.

Spurs visit London rivals Fulham on Saturday evening for an FA Cup quarter-final tie.