SOCCER:LEDLEY KING is scheduled to step up his rehabilitation from his groin problem next week, although caution continues to underpin any prediction of when the Tottenham Hotspur captain may play again.

King tore a muscle at Fulham on October 16th and Harry Redknapp, the manager, has described the defender’s progress as “slow”.

It was feared that King, who also has a chronic knee injury, might need corrective surgery, but the club is to press on with his course of strengthening exercises.

“It’s a difficult one,” said Joe Jordan, Tottenham’s assistant manager. “But if all goes well, there could be a day next week when he could be back at the early stages with the squad. We have tried not to go down that route (of surgery).”

The positive progress of Tottenham’s other long-term central defensive casualty, Jonathan Woodgate, has been measured in the recent absence of any setback and Jordan confirmed Rafael van der Vaart would not be fit for the visit of Chelsea tomorrow.

The midfielder tore a hamstring against Liverpool on November 28th. It is hoped he will be back for next Sunday’s trip to Blackpool.

A number of Tottenham’s players have been laid low by flu including Luka Modric, Jermaine Jenas and Vedran Corluka.

The players are over it now although Jenas is out with a recurrence of a calf problem while Niko Kranjcar has a hamstring pull.