Tottenham assistant Kevin Bond confirms Harry Redknapp will take charge of Watford FA Cup tie

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will be back in charge of his side for their FA Cup clash with Watford, assistant Kevin Bond has confirmed.

Bond has been in charge of first-team issues in Redknapp's absence, while the Spurs boss has been in court contesting tax evasion charges.

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But Redknapp's assistant has indicated it has been business as usual for the club.

Bond said: "I was talking to him yesterday, he was keen to know our thoughts on Watford and how we are looking.

"We made preparations to come to the game and he was genuinely looking forward to it."

Redknapp and Bond take a 125-mile trip to work and the latter has said how he has missed the former's company in the car.

He continued: "He thrives on being at the training ground. He likes the environment, he enjoys it.

"He is always full of conversation, full of stories. Not driving up and down with him for the last few days has been a lonely old drive in the mornings."

Redknapp wasn't in the dugout for two weeks last November as he was having surgery to unblock arteries in his heart and Bond admitted that training has been 'no different' without him.

"He has been no different to how he has always been," he said.

"He appears, when I speak to him - and I would know - to be every bit as focused as he has been.

"We haven't felt we had to have a conversation with the players.

"Everyone is aware of the ongoing situation and everybody gets on with it.

"Harry wasn't here for a few days a few weeks back and really we are just carrying on without him.

"To a large degree the training is exactly the same, it's just that Harry is not there overseeing it all.

"The players all understand that, we all understand that and get on with it in the same way as if he was here."

Tottenham's main aim is to reach the Champions League again but they haven't ruled out the thought of playing at Wembley and hopes for a good cup run.

Bond added: "Champions League is our number one goal, but the FA Cup is hugely important to us.

"As a youngster when you played, you didn't dream about finishing in the top four so you could play in the Champions League, you all dreamed about playing at Wembley and lifting the cup.

"The players crave a cup final. They crave playing in the big games, the one-off games."