Kanoute injury 'not serious'

Tottenham have shrugged off a major scare over new £4million signing Frederic Kanoute after he was sent for a check-up having pulled out of his first training session with his new club.

The French striker was thought to have caused more damage to the groin injury that kept him out for four months, and eventually needed surgery, at West Ham United last season.

Fears that the setback would mean him missing the start of the new season against Birmingham a week on Saturday have proved unfounded.

Spurs manager Glenn Hoddle was a relieved man today when tests showed the player had merely "tweaked an abductor muscle" and he said: "Thankfully it is not too bad and should settle down quite quickly.

"Freddie has suffered a slight tweak to his abductor muscle which will hold him back three to four days."

This means Kanoute will almost certainly miss Tottenham's final pre-season friendly at home to Sporting Lisbon on Sunday.

But the news is certainly not as bad as was first feared by players and staff who saw Kanoute hobble out of training after only an hour of his first session at the club's Essex headquarters.

The episode follows Kanoute signing on Monday which was delayed by a stringent medical examination before Spurs committed to his transfer from relegated Hammers who took winger Matthew Etherington in part-exchange.

Midfielders Jamie Redknapp and Darren Anderton have suffered long-term injury problems while on Spurs' books.

Kanoute, 26, was restricted to just 12 starts and five goals for West Ham last season - a record which inspired Spurs to subject him to a rigorous medical, spread over two days, before completing his signing.

The club already has painful memories of previous deals that had to be aborted on medical grounds.

They were set to sign Everton's England left-back Andy Hinchcliffe for £3million in 1999 before he failed a physical examination on a suspect knee.
And a similar setback wrecked former boss George Graham's plan to sign Wales striker John Hartson for £5million from Wimbledon.

Former Arsenal striker Hartson eventually went on to join Coventry City and has now carved out a successful career in Scotland with Celtic.

Spurs are also battling to get other players fit for this weekend's clash with their Portuguese visitors.

Anderton has a hamstring strain, Kazu Toda and Simon Davies have calf injuries and Dean Richards is in his first week back in training after Achilles trouble.
New £1.5million signing Bobby Zamora is also battling an ankle injury.

Happily for Hoddle, Tottenham are not short of strikers due to his summer spending spree.

Portuguese striker Helder Postiga, 19 is likely to partner Robbie Keane.