TEAM NEWS: Friedel starts ahead of Lloris for Tottenham while Bale and Dembele miss out completely

Oct 20, 2012 12:00:00 PM

Andre Villas-Boas puts his faith in the veteran goalkeeper for the visit of his former club, but is forced to reshuffle his midfield in the absence of the Belgian and the Welshman

Brad Friedel is preferred to Hugo Lloris while Gareth Bale and Mousa Dembele are both absent as Tottenham prepare to welcome Chelsea to White Hart Lane.

Boss Andre Villas-Boas keeps faith with the veteran American in goal for the visit of his former club, despite Lloris starting the last two Spurs matches between the sticks.

The Portuguese is forced to reshuffle his midfield, however, in the absence of both Dembele - who is presumably injured - and Bale, whose partner has gone into labour.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are without suspended captain John Terry, who begins his four-game ban for racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand in a Premier League match last October.

Gary Cahill replaces him in what is an otherwise unchanged Blues side to the one which triumphed over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last month.

Tottenham starting XI: Friedel; Walker, Caulker, Gallas, Vertonghen; Sandro, Huddlestone; Lennon, Dempsey, Sigurdsson; Defoe.

Subs: Lloris, Dawson, Naughton, Falque, Livermore, Townsend, Adebayor.

Chelsea starting XI: Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole; Mikel, Ramires; Hazard, Mata, Oscar; Torres.

Subs: Turnbull, Romeu, Lampard, Moses, Sturridge, Azpilicueta and Bertrand.

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