Soccer: Nelsen set for increased role at Spurs

Ryan Nelsen should play a big part in Tottenham's run-in. Photo / File

New Zealand captain Ryan Nelsen should play a prominent part in Tottenham's run-in, after teammate Michael Dawson suffered a serious leg injury in Spurs' fifth round FA Cup win today.

Nelsen played 90 minutes in a 3-1 win over League One side Stevenage at White Hart Lane, but his partner at the back lasted only 10 minutes before being carried off on a stretcher with suspected knee and ankle ligament damage.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said it would be a "miracle" if Dawson played again this season - bad news for Spurs' hopes of holding onto third place in the English Premier League but good news for Nelsen's chances of an increased role.

After joining from Blackburn on deadline day in the January transfer window, Nelsen has started just two games for his new club as he battles with Dawson and first-choice centre-back pairing Ledley King and Younes Kaboul for game time.

But with Dawson out of the mix, Nelsen will make the matchday squad for the remainder of the season, and he may even push for a starting spot considering Spurs' defence has shipped eight goals in their last two games.

Nelsen should continue to play in the FA Cup, a competition he twice bowed out of at the semifinal stage with Blackburn, and Tottenham's win today sets up a home quarter-final against Premier League strugglers Bolton next weekend.

In the league, Tottenham's title challenge has faded in the last fortnight after losing 5-2 to Arsenal in the north London derby and going down 3-1 to second-place Manchester United. With 11 games left, Spurs will now be determined to consolidate their position in the top four and ensure a return to the European Champions League next season.

Arsenal are four points back in fourth place while Chelsea are a further three back, ensuring a hectic chase for the two Champions League spots available behind the two Manchester clubs.

With every point vital and Dawson injured, Nelsen's acquisition is looking a shrewd one. While his only Premier League minutes came in the dying moments of a 5-0 win over Newcastle, Nelsen anchored the Spurs' defence in the two games against Stevenage.

His performance in the 0-0 draw at Stevenage drew praise and, although Nelsen conceded a third minute penalty which gave the minnows a shock lead in the replay, the 34-year-old's experience should prove crucial in the last two months of the season.