Relegation struggles may save their best from Spurs

13 April 2012

Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Guy Luzon admits his club's relegation battle takes priority over the UEFA Cup clash with Tottenham this week.

Luzon could rest players for tomorrow's clash at Bloomfield Stadium as Hapoel face city rivals Maccabi on Sunday looking for their first league win of the season.

Strength in depth: Spurs are a 'a very good team with very good players' says the Hapoel coach

Spurs are struggling at the wrong end of the Barclays Premier League but Hapoel are rock bottom of their domestic competition with no wins and just four goals from eight games.

"It's correct that the league is more important than the UEFA Cup to us, and we will keep some players for Sunday and will maybe not use all our players because it is a very important game at the weekend," said Luzon.

As a result, only a small crowd is expected at Bloomfield Stadium for the Spurs game.

Luzon disciplined three players - Lior Asulin, Yigal Antebi and Reuven Oved - for going to a casino after the game against Anderlecht when Hapoel started their Group G campaign with a defeat.

"They returned to training yesterday and if they play or don't play it's a football decision," Luzon said.

Spurs boss Juande Ramos had Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov on the bench at Middlesbrough last weekend, but Luzon believes any combination of their strikers will pose a threat.

"I'm surprised at their situation in the league because they are a very good team with very good players," he said.

"A team that can put Berbatov and Keane on the bench must be a fantastic team. Not every team in the Premier League can do that, to have them on the bench says how big they are.

"All four strikers are among the best in the Premier League."

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