Published: 15 November, 2012
OFF THE SHELF with DAN CARRIER

SPURS boss Andre Villas-Boas is determined to wait as long as possible before finalising his starting line-up against rivals Arsenal on Saturday in the hope that Mousa Dembele is fit.

But the midfielder, who has a long standing hip injury, looks unlikely to make the final cut with reports from the Tottenham treatment room suggesting the game has come too soon for Belgium international.

Villas-Boas is also sweating on the fitness of Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe and Kyle Walker, who all suffered minor knocks in the 2-1 defeat away at Manchester City on Sunday.

Meanwhile, assistant coach Steffen Freund has upped the temperature ahead of the big match by insisting his team can finish above Arsenal this term.

“We are very close to Arsenal now,” he said. “Spurs are in a better position now and the gap has closed. It would be great to finish above Arsenal, but they have finished in the Champions League year after year, and that has given them a financial advantage over us.”

He added that, because of his career at Spurs, he knew exactly what the game means to the supporters.

“There are only two of these games every season and we have to enjoy this. I can’t wait for this game and I know what it always means to our supporters.”

It’s certainly going to be a tough derby to call, with both Arsenal and Tottenham suffering from stuttering form and just one point separating them in the table.