Jan 11, 2013 03:21 AM EST
QPR vs Tottenham: Preview, Team News, Injuries, Predictions and Expected Lineups

The man who took over the job at Tottenham will take on the man who was unceremoniously let go when Spurs travel to Queens Park Rangers in Saturday's English Premier League encounter.

The London derby between Harry Redknapp's QPR and Andre Villas-Boas' Tottenham at Loftus Road is expected to be a cracker of a contest with both teams desperate to rack up the points, but none more so than the home side.

QPR are still bottom of the table, despite picking up a morale-boosting win over Chelsea in their last Premier League game. However, that win at Stamford Bridge will give Redknapp's side the impetus to go out and pull off another victory against the manager's former club Spurs, who have been in sparkling form of late, thanks mainly to the form of Gareth Bale.

This time last year Redknapp was taking Spurs to almost unprecedented heights, challenging for the Premier League title. Of course all that came tumbling down following their loss to Arsenal in February, which in turn led to Redknapp losing his job at White Hart Lane.

Now the experienced manager has been given the job of saving QPR from relegation, which many feel is a losing battle. Despite their improvement, QPR are five points adrift of safety, with all clubs, barring Reading, improving slowly but surely as the season reaches its business end.

Villas-Boas believes Redknapp has an advantage when it comes to facing Spurs. "I think it's a big advantage," Villas-Boas said. "In the end, when you manage a club you know your football players very well.

"You get to know them, you get to know their qualities and I think Harry can take advantage of that.

"Obviously, everything has changed recently for him in the fact that he has gone to QPR. The fact that he won against Chelsea is such an important boost of confidence. The fact he knows these players well can play to his advantage, I think there's no doubt.

"We approach the game on a good run of form too, full of confidence and wanting to profit from a weekend when the top teams meet each other.

"With the way they can be in these games, that knowledge can always serve you well. It's always very difficult to understand whether that is going to make a difference in the game.

"I think his knowledge of these players is second to none because he was here with these players three-and-a-half years with tremendous results.

"They have done things together, he knows what makes them tick and what they are not so good at.

"Whether that will make a difference or not nobody knows. I think he is aware of what he has to exploit in his team for sure."

With Manchester United facing Liverpool and Arsenal taking on Manchester City, Spurs, who are currently third on 39 points from 21 matches, can potentially move closer to the top two, while putting further daylight between themselves and the top-four chasing pack.

"What I want is for us to profit from a weekend where the top teams meet each other," he said. "It will be excellent for us if we can get City in between this battle between ourselves, Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton.

"That is our objective, to shorten the gap to the top and open the gap to the teams who are below us so in the end if this could happen this weekend it would be perfect for us. That is what we hope for."

Spurs have no major injury worries, with William Gallas the only person ruled out along with long-term absentee Younes Kaboul.

Expected lineups: QPR: Cesar; Onuoha, Hill, Ben Haim, Fabio; Mbia, Derry; Wright-Phillips, Taarabt, Granero; Mackie.

Tottenham: Lloris; Walker, Caulker, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto; Sandro, Dembele; Lennon, Dempsey, Bale; Defoe.

Prediction: 2-2

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