Fatigue will be the main factor that both sides - Aston Villa and Tottenham - will look to overcome when the two sides meet in the third round of the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.
Villa have faced a gruelling start to the season and with the relatively small squad at Paul Lambert's disposal, it is starting to take its toll.
Tottenham, on the other hand, will be playing their third match in six days and Andre Villas-Boas is clearly not happy with the scheduling with the North London side only given a day's rest after their English Premier League match on Sunday.
"This is an impossible game for us to play, but hopefully our team spirit and motivation can get us through," he said.
Villa have faced a gruelling start to the season and with the relatively small squad at Paul Lambert's disposal, it is starting to take its toll.
Tottenham, on the other hand, will be playing their third match in six days and Andre Villas-Boas is clearly not happy with the scheduling with the North London side only given a day's rest after their English Premier League match on Sunday.
"This is an impossible game for us to play, but hopefully our team spirit and motivation can get us through," he said.
"It could be possible for the players who played against Cardiff to play this game, but I am not sure I want to risk the players who played getting a hamstring injury which could take them six weeks to recover from when the Premier League is more important.
"This team has not experienced having to play again after just two days and we have not been given the same chance as the other teams. So we will have to rotate our squad as the players who played in Cardiff will not be involved.
"We are struggling a little bit with injuries but we have great strength in depth, although it is not going to be easy."
Lambert also has plenty of worries and is expected to make a few changes to the side that beat Norwich City 1-0 on Saturday, with the manager more concerned about the Premier League game next Saturday against Manchester City rather than this third round tie.
"We've played really hard teams in this opening spell -- three teams you think will be round about there in Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, and now we've got two more tough ones," the Scot told the club's official website.
"The main one is Saturday but we'll do our best to get through the Tottenham tie."
"This team has not experienced having to play again after just two days and we have not been given the same chance as the other teams. So we will have to rotate our squad as the players who played in Cardiff will not be involved.
"We are struggling a little bit with injuries but we have great strength in depth, although it is not going to be easy."
Lambert also has plenty of worries and is expected to make a few changes to the side that beat Norwich City 1-0 on Saturday, with the manager more concerned about the Premier League game next Saturday against Manchester City rather than this third round tie.
"We've played really hard teams in this opening spell -- three teams you think will be round about there in Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, and now we've got two more tough ones," the Scot told the club's official website.
"The main one is Saturday but we'll do our best to get through the Tottenham tie."
Team News: Villa are not likely to risk their star man Christian Benteke, after the striker had to be taken off against Norwich with a shoulder problem. That means Libor Kozak is expected to start in place of the Belgium international. Lambert is also expected to rest Gabriel Agbonlahor and Antonio Luna, both of whom made comebacks from injury against Norwich.
"Gabby only trained for the latter part of (last) week, as did Antonio Luna," Lambert said. "These are two big players for us, and they wanted to give it a go (against Norwich)."
Villas-Boas is also likely to make a few changes, with the likes of Roberto Soldado and Paulinho expected to be rested.
"Gabby only trained for the latter part of (last) week, as did Antonio Luna," Lambert said. "These are two big players for us, and they wanted to give it a go (against Norwich)."
Villas-Boas is also likely to make a few changes, with the likes of Roberto Soldado and Paulinho expected to be rested.
Expected lineups: Aston Villa: Steer; Lowton, Baker, Clark, Bennett; El Ahmady, Sylla, Delph; Albrighton, Kozak, Helenius.
Tottenham: Friedel; Naughton, Dawson, Chiriches, Sandro, Holtby; Townsend, Lamela, Sigurdsson; Defoe.
Prediction: 2-1 to Tottenham
Tottenham: Friedel; Naughton, Dawson, Chiriches, Sandro, Holtby; Townsend, Lamela, Sigurdsson; Defoe.
Prediction: 2-1 to Tottenham
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