Harry Redknapp says Tottenham's Europa League trip is a 'nuisance'
Last updated on .From the section Football
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp says he has no qualms in rotating his team for Thursday's Europa League tie against PAOK Salonika.
Following his team's first Premier League win of the season at Wolves, Redknapp bemoaned his current injury list and the trip to Greece.
"The problem I've got on Thursday is I can't really take this lot who've played at Wolves," said the Spurs boss.
"It is a nuisance. There won't be too many of these going to Greece."
Redknapp said his priority was picking up Premier League points, with a home game against Liverpool next Sunday. He was delighted with the victory over previously unbeaten Wolves despite missing almost an entire team through injury.
"I had nine players missing in Corluka, Gallas, Dawson, Rose, Lennon, Sandro, Huddlestone, Pienaar and van der Vaart. That is a good team," he said.
"They've played two internationals and I've got to take them out to Greece for Thursday, come back Friday and play Liverpool on Sunday. I want to save them for Sunday."
Tottenham will play six Europa League group games before the turn of the year, having qualified for the tournament with their fifth-place finish last season. They have been drawn in Group A with Salonika, Shamrock Rovers and Russian side Rubin Kazan.
Redknapp's starting line-up on Thursday could feature several players who were on the substitutes' bench at Molineux, including defender Sebastien Bassong, midfielders Andros Townsend and Jake Livermore and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.
Despite his misgivings about the Europa League, Redknapp was positive about the performances of new signings Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor against Wolves, and hailed the influence of captain Ledley King, who is restricted in the amount of training he can do due to his long-standing knee complaint.
"Ledley is an amazing player. He only ever trains for a few minutes the day before a game. It will take all week now for his knee to go down and then we will try and get him on the park next Sunday but he is one of the best centre-halves you will ever see," said Redknapp.
"He is different class, he gives an air of confidence, he knows what he is doing. People around Ledley respond to him.
"He doesn't make too many last-ditch tackles because he is already in position to deal with it.
"Like the Bobby Moores and Alan Hansens over the years, they understand what they are doing - and that's what he does."
