Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will not be using his famed predilection for transfer market wheeler-dealing to search for strikers in January, if his team’s current form is a guide.

Jermaine Defoe has been hitting the headlines for club and country so far this season. And strike partners Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane have been troubling the scorers this past ten days. Peter Crouch grabbed a hat-trick in Spurs’ 5-1 mauling of Championship side Preston North End in the Carling Cup, But he was rewarded with a place on the bench for last Saturday’s Premier League visit of Burnley and saw his replacement, Keane, grab a four-goal haul.

However, the hand injury Defoe suffered during the Burnley game is more serious than the original diagnosis of two dislocated fingers. It has emerged that Defoe has also broken a bone in his left hand, which rules him out of Spurs’ trip to Bolton this Saturday and leaves him doubtful for England’s closing World Cup qualifiers. Redknapp said: “He dislocated two fingers against Burnley and they couldn’t get them back in. But he has also fractured his hand. He spent Saturday night in hospital but hopefully he’ll be OK for England.”

Crouch, however, was likely to start at the Reebok, as Redknapp continues to pick starting line-ups which reflect the opposition. Prior to the latest news on Defoe, Redknapp had said: “Peter will get the opportunity to play plenty of games this year.” And if Crouch had interpreted that as ‘plenty’ of Carling Cup games, he would have been reassured when Redknapp added: “Next is away to Bolton – a big, strong team. “Last week we went with a small team, next week I will probably pick a bigger team.”

Redknapp also had praise for Tom Huddlestone’s role in overcoming Spurs’ central defensive crisis. Injuries to Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate, along with Michael Dawson’s lack of match fitness, have forced the midfielder back into his old role at the centre of defence. And Redknapp told Spurs’ official website: “I thought Tom was tremendous. He started out playing at the back as a kid and he’s majestic when he plays there. “He just has that air of confidence about him. When someone like that is so comfortable on the ball, you never panic.”

Woodgate, who has been out for the whole season to date, is looking to avoid an operation on his groin injury. Redknapp commented: “He had an injection and feels a lot easier. We hope that does the trick rather than operating again.”

And Redknapp was also optimistic about the return of Croatian playmaker Luka Modric. Modric fractured his right fibula against Birmingham at the end of August and Redknapp is hopeful that the original forecast of a six-week injury lay-off will prove correct. He said: “He’s coming along okay. We have a break of two weeks coming up and that could be enough time to get him back playing.” Modric would therefore return for Spurs trip to bottom-club Portsmouth on October 17^th.