Source: Team_Talk
Spurs hopeful over VDV fitness
Tottenham are hopeful Rafael van der Vaart will be fit for their Premier League opener with Everton next Saturday.[LNB] The Dutchman will take no part in Tottenham's final pre-season friendly against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, having picked up an ankle injury in a 3-2 win over Brighton.[LNB]Spurs open their competitive season at home to the Toffees, but their Europa League play-off tie with Hearts on August 18 may prove a more realistic date for Van der Vaart's return.[LNB]"We'll keep our fingers crossed for next week," Kevin Bond, Tottenham's assistant manager, told the Daily Telegraph.[LNB]Tottenham's first-team coach Joe Jordan, who managed Hearts from 1990 to 1993, admits both sides have a lot of foreign influence.[LNB]He does not believe that takes away from the inevitable 'battle of Britain' tag, though, and insists Spurs will take the game as seriously as any other European tie.[LNB]"Hearts have a good contingent of foreign players and so do we," he said. [LNB]"So that aspect will be with the supporters, that's how they will look at it, they will enjoy that and it will give the tie some added spice.[LNB]"But the players have played all over the world and it will be all about winning the tie and going through to the next round."[LNB]He added: "You can't predict what is going to happen but certainly we will play the strongest team that we can. [LNB]"We played over 10 months to get into the competition."
