Will England chants come back to haunt Tottenham?

Tottenham Hotspur fans have often proudly (and very smugly) chanted "England" at their North London rivals Arsenal in mockery of the fact that the Gunners have a squad made up almost entirely of foreign stars, compared to a Spurs squad that is heavily reliant upon its English contingent.

However, following England's recent European Championship qualification matches, these same fans may wish that they had considerably fewer England stars in their side's starting line-up. With Michael Dawson now out for two months, and Jermain Defoe set to be absent for longer, Spurs are now having to face the fact they will have to do without two of their key men for a good chunk of what is arguably their most challenging season in the Premier League, and their first campaign in the Champions League. The football predictions suggest they will struggle to make a massive impact this season.

With Harry Redknapp already short of defensive options due to the persistent injury problems that both Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King experience, he will now be relying upon ex-Arsenal defender William Gallas, a man with a recent injury record that does not make good reading for Spurs fans, to help guide his side through some tough fixtures on the horizon.

Despite the loss of Dawson being a big blow, the absence of Defoe may be even more painful for the Tottenham boss. Defoe had appeared to be moving beyond his traditional role of a straight up poacher, and instead looked to be completing a long-awaited transformation into a complete striker capable of leading the line. However, with his current injury appearing to be one that could well linger, Spurs fans may have to wait a while longer before they are able to see whether this transformation is able to reach its final stages.

Meanwhile, the Newcastle betting suggests the north-east side should pick up another three points this weekend.

Young striker Andy Carroll will be looking to bag more goals as he looks to stake his claim for an England place.