Redknapp hits out at Hasselbaink

Harry Redknapp today slammed Chelsea's Dutch striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for a challenge which, he claimed, could have left Joe Cole sidelined for months.

The West Ham manager was unhappy with Hasselbaink's attempted tackle on the young England star during Chelsea's 2-0 victory at Upton Park last night.

West Ham fear that another Hasselbaink tackle - on influential defender Stuart Pearce - may mean that he will miss Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final home tie against Tottenham.

The Hasselbaink challenge on Cole came during the first half. He did not connect and went unpunished by referee Alan Wiley but Redknapp was seething.

He said: "It was a yellow card at best. If he had made contact, we would not have had him for Christmas let alone for Sunday's game. It was a two-footed lunge."

Cole tried to play down the incident, and was smiling when he said: "If he'd caught me I wouldn't have been playing for a few years."

Pearce went off after only nine minutes and was taken to hospital for further X-rays on his damaged ankle.

The 38-year-old left-back is now almost certain to be ruled out of Sunday's cup tie. West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop said: "Stuart is a very influential player for us, everyone knows that because they see it week-in and week-out.

"We will have to deal with it on Sunday if he is out. He is simply the life and soul of our defence.

"He keeps us all on our toes, myself very much included, he is also greatly responsible for every single clean sheet that I've kept. He has been a fantastic player for both me and the club.

"He never lets me fall asleep, which I've sometimes been accused of, and he puts some aggression into my own game and helps me to focus on things. If he is out, then he will be sorely missed by me most of all."

Redknapp is resigned to losing Pearce even though initial X-rays undertaken at Upton Park showed no fractures in his ankle.

Redknapp said: "It looks like a bad injury. I am not sure what he has done. But his ankle swelled up like a balloon, and he has gone to hospital for more X-rays."

The West Ham trio of striker Frederic Kanoute, left-back Nigel Winterburn and midfielder Michael Carrick should all be fit to return against Spurs.

Meanwhile, Spurs sent Stewart Houston and Martin Peters to spy on West Ham last night but they left midway through the second half when it was clear that Chelsea would clinch their first away win in the Premiership since their victory over Leeds at Elland Road last April.

Midfielder Gus Poyet, who replaced the injured Mario Stanic in the first half, is convinced the win will provide them with the springboard they need to clinch a place in Europe next season.

Poyet said: "You could see on the faces of every Chelsea fan, player and member of staff what this result meant to us. We now have the confidence to reach our target of qualifying for a place in Europe."