No Dempsey for final day - Game preview - Tottenham Hotspur (a)

The task at hand seemed daunting enough but news has now appeared that, on our final match of the campaign, away at Tottenham Hotspur, Clint Dempsey will be unavailable after picking up a groin strain.

It's been a long, tough and yet ultimately fulfilling season for Fulham but it will be no testament to Dempsey, who has proved pivotal at some moments of quite vital importance, that he plays no part at White Hart Lane on Sunday. If there is one thing he deserves, it is a respectable send off and a goal would have topped his simply miraculous season off quite nicely.

The consensus still is that Dempsey will no longer play for Fulham by the time the 2012/13 season begins and, despite words from Martin Jol to the contrary, there is sombre acceptance all around Fulham that he will be plying his trade in SW6 no more. In that respect, last weekend's victory over Sunderland could well have been his last Fulham game, ever.

Perhaps, though, it will look far more pleasant on his CV if he doesn't feature on Sunday because, in all honesty, the odds are firmly stacked against Fulham. Not only are they away from home - a cosmic disadvantage in the first place - but Spurs are in a desperate search for a Champions League spot and have been justly rejuvinated under a newly content Harry Redknapp. The decision to hand the England manager's job to Roy Hodgson seems to have lifted a weight off of his shoulders.

In their last outing, Redknapp's side could only muster a draw from stalemate specialists Aston Villa but, before that, they showed their superiority over a lacklustre but nonetheless scrappy Bolton Wanderers side. They defeated the Trotters 4-1 at the Reebok Stadium.

Fulham, meanwhile, are enjoying some of their best form of the season, having pulled 16 points from a possible 21. Sunderland were their latest victims, falling to a 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage, but, really, the scoreline could have been more daunting.

Earlier in the season, with Fulham at home, Spurs ran away with a 3-1 victory in what was, arguably, a tighter affair than the scoreline suggests. At White Hart Lane last season, we fell to a 1-0 defeat.

Injury wise, Scott Parker is set to miss out for the home side because of an Achilles problem and Danny Rose is suspended. Ledley King may be absent due to a knee injury while long term concerns Niko Kranjcar, Tom Huddlestone and Michael Dawson are all unavailable.

For Fulham, Dempsey provides the main injury worry but Alex Kacaniklic will face a fitness test after pulling up in training on Friday. Dickson Etuhu, Bryan Ruiz, Steve Sidwell and Zdenek Grygera will not feature.

Score Prediction: Tottenham 3-2 Fulham