Tottenham winger Gareth Bale struggling with ankle injury

Gareth Bale: Qualifying for the Champions League will help Spurs hold on to the Welshman (Getty Images)

Tottenham may have to do without Gareth Bale for Thursday's crunch clash against Chelsea after manager Harry Redknapp revealed the pacy winger is struggling with an ankle injury.

Bale sprained his ankle during training on Friday and missed yesterday's 1-0 win over Sunderland at White Hart Lane.

The Londoners felt Bale's absence dearly as they lacked the pace and penetration the Welshman offers in devastating fashion down the left flank, and they received another blow when Aaron Lennon had to come off in the first half with a suspected hamstring tear.

The England winger will have a scan on the injury today and will definitely miss Thursday night's derby, while Bale is also a doubt.

"Bale has sprained his ankle. He just did it in training. He thought it was okay, then he went home had a little rest and couldn't put any weight on it." Redknapp said.

Lennon is definitely out of Thursday's game, but Redknapp is more confident about Jermain Defoe's chances of being available.

The striker missed yesterday's win, which came courtesy of a Roman Pavlyuchenko strike, because of a hamstring problem but should be available for the game against the Blues.

"Lennon has got no chance for Thursday. It'll be weeks if it's a tear," Redknapp said.

"There's every chance Defoe will be fit. He's only got a grade one tear and he's desperate to play, the little fella'."

Sunderland went back to Wearside unlucky not to have taken a point in what was Martin O'Neill's second game in charge.

The Black Cats dominated parts of the first half and would have scored had Brad Friedel not saved well from Kieran Richardson and Sebastian Larsson.

O'Neill's tenure at the Stadium of Light started well after his team came from behind to snatch a victory against Blackburn, but the euphoria around Sunderland soon made way for disappointment after it emerged that Nicklas Bendtner and Lee Cattermole had been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

"I have spoken to them," O'Neill said of the duo, who both started yesterday's game on the bench.

"What you have to do is wait for legal process to run its course."

PA