Tottenham's Redknapp requires heart surgery

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, who was admitted to hospital late on Tuesday for tests, requires minor heart surgery, the Press Association reported on Wednesday. The north London club has confirmed their 64-year-old coach was set to undergo a "medical procedure" that would rule him out of the Europa League trip to Rubin Kazan. Redknapp will have an operation on a minor blockage in one of his arteries. Assistant manager Kevin Bond and first team coach Joe Jordan will take charge for Thursday's match in Russia with the Spurs boss appearing confident he would be back in the dug out for Sunday's Premier League game at Fulham. He told Wednesday's Sun tabloid: "I'm hoping I can be back at work again in a couple of days." The former Portsmouth manager, who has been in charge of Tottenham for three years, admitted in March 2010 that he had started talking heart pills upon the advice of his doctors, but stressed it was not a major problem. Writing in his Sun column, Redknapp then said: "About a year ago I needed to take heart pills and I am still taking them regularly. "I am absolutely fine and have no worries about my health but this game can make the most mild-mannered of people explode as when you are sitting on the bench you get eaten up inside from first to last whistle." On the stresses of management he added: "After a game I cannot sleep, there is too much going on in my head as I go over moves, think about game plans, think about which player has had a good or bad game - and it's worse if you lose."

Source: AFP