Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Les Ferdinand discusses the club’s chances of Champions League qualification following injuries to Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane.

Ham & High: Les Ferdinand scores his second goal against Bolton for Tottenham in their Worthington Cup quarter-final match at White Hart Lane. Picture: Tom Hevezi/PALes Ferdinand scores his second goal against Bolton for Tottenham in their Worthington Cup quarter-final match at White Hart Lane. Picture: Tom Hevezi/PA (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Former Spurs striker Les Ferdinand believes the club will find it difficult to qualify for the Champions League this season.

Ferdinand, who is currently QPR's director of football, struggled with injuries during his time at White Hart Lane after joining from Newcastle United but did win the League Cup with the club in 1999.

And the 53-year-old sympathised with boss Jose Mourinho, who has lost both Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane to long-term injuries.

"It's difficult. You go into any club in the world and you lose your two top goalscorers it's going to be difficult," he said.

"If you took the two best goalscorers out of Liverpool and Manchester City then all of these teams are going to struggle.

"I think Champions League qualification is obviously top of the agenda for them and even that is looking like it might not happen because you've lost your two top strikers and you haven't got anyone else that you've brought in in January so it's going to be tough.

"They aren't scoring many goals throughout the rest of the team but we know that in the past Jose Mourinho sets his teams up where they can win a game 1-0 and defensively they are sound so it's going to take more of that to get them back into the Champions League places."

Spurs currently sit sixth in the Premier League, four points behind rivals Chelsea who are fourth.

But a two-year Champions League ban handed to Manchester City by Uefa, which the club are appealing, opens the possibility of the team in fifth qualifying for the competition instead.

Ferdinand also had his say on whether he thinks Spurs regret not bringing in another striker in the January transfer window.

He added: "Hindsight is a wonderful thing but at the same time you've got to bring someone in that you think is going to benefit the side rather than just bringing someone in for the sake of it.

"You see Chelsea and a lot of teams out there wanting strikers but not being able to get the ones that they wanted.

"Notoriously the January transfer window is one where people do panic in and it's a desperate window rather than being one that is calculated and you're doing the right thing for the football team."

Les Ferdinand was speaking to us as part of his work with Prostate Cancer UK.

For information about taking part in the charity's Football to Amsterdam bike ride, go to prostatecanceruk.org/amsterdam or contact the cycling team by calling 020 3310 7034 or by emailing cycling@prostatecanceruk.org. To receive £25 off registration, enter the code LASTCHANCE25.