The 25-year-old picked up the complaint in the second half of last weekend's defeat at Manchester United and will wear a brace for a fortnight before specialists assess him again.

Bent is Spurs' top goalscorer this season with 17 goals but could now miss their final push for European football after looking like relegation candidates until Harry Redknapp took over in October.

Redknapp said: "Darren has had a knee problem that will keep him out for several weeks. He will not be around for a while.

"It is a blow for him because he has done well and scored goals. We need him and he needs to play. He has been in good form but what can you do?"

Redknapp, whose side host West Brom at the weekend, added he would be delighted if his troops can salvage a place in Europe from their below-par campaign.

He told Sky Sports News: "There's a little group of us pushing for seventh. I'd like to do it. If we could do it I think it would be a good achievement to come from the bottom of the league to qualifying for Europe.

"I think it's something we'd all be pleased to do. We'll give it our best shot in the last few games and see what we can do."

Redknapp has earmarked the players he wants to get the club closer to the top four of the Barclays Premier League next season.

Redknapp wants to push for a Champions League place in the same way as Aston Villa and Everton have this campaign.

The 62-year-old was interested in Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones and Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing in January, and both could get relegated with their respective clubs this season.

"I am just looking to add one or two more in the summer to give us a real squad that can push on next year," Redknapp said.

Redknapp knows how tough it will be to get into Europe's elite, but he feels Spurs can at least challenge them and put the pressure on.

"We're capable of doing that," he said.

"Getting into it is difficult, they are so strong, but we have to aim to be there if we can.

"Tottenham have great resources and there's no reason why we can't do it one day.

"So let's see what we can do next year and if we can do it that would be fantastic."

Their current European bid was not helped by Manchester United being awarded a hotly disputed penalty at Old Trafford last weekend, with Redknapp believing there is a place for the fourth official to assist referees.

"[Howard Webb's] an honest man. He's an honest referee. He's a top referee," Redknapp said. "He made a ricket, we all saw that, but what can you do now? It's done.

"I still think that the fourth official, who is stood by, what is he doing there? What is the fourth official's job really?

"He should be looking at that monitor that is available there and key decisions like that would take 10, 15 or 20 seconds for him to say 'Howard - not a penalty, he's played the ball'."

Roman Pavlyuchenko is recovering from a back injury and could offer an option for Redknapp. Pavlyuchenko's agent, Oleg Artemov, feels the Russia striker will improve on his first season in England.

"We had a lengthy and, what's more important, very useful conversation," said Artemov on dailymail.co.uk. "I think after this, Redknapp is going to understand better some details about Roman.

"In my opinion, next season he has very good chances to start shining much brighter at Tottenham."