Sunderland game as key as Milan to Tottenham, says Harry Redknapp

Tottenham face Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday with a place in the last eight of Europe's elite at stake but Harry Redknapp says his side's visit to the Stadium of Light is just as important as the trip to San Siro. Spurs face Sunderland on Saturday evening level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League following successive victories. "Well, yes, the league is all-important," he said. "That's our bread and butter, we want to do our best to get back into the Champions League next season but it's going to be difficult. It's so hard this year. Liverpool have even come into it now; don't write off Liverpool. You've got to finish above either Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea or Arsenal. It's not going to be easy but we've got a chance and we can't afford to slip up." The Tottenham manager fears the competition for those lucrative places at Europe's top table is only going to get tougher. "If somebody goes in tomorrow, one of the richest men in the world, decides he wants to buy Blackpool, then Blackpool will be pushing for Champions League football in the next couple of years," he said. "That's how football is, if you're lucky enough to get an owner that's got billions." "It's hard to push on and get into every year because the four teams at the top are so strong, Liverpool have always been so strong and now they've got a new owner, he's now going to pump money in, so next year they'll be right back there again. It's getting harder. And if somebody buys whoever, then they could be there, whichever club." The crucial trio of Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart miss the trip to the north-east and remain doubtful for Milan, although Jonathan Woodgate could come back into contention after a successful 90 minutes in a reserve team friendly in midweek. "Hopefully they won't be too long," said Redknapp of his injured trio. "It's difficult to know [about Milan] but Sunderland's a key game for us and I'm only worrying about that."