Defoe has been prolific since rejoining Spurs but could not convert his two spot-kicks this season or his final effort while at Portsmouth.

The 27-year-old has stepped up when Robbie Keane has not been on the pitch - but a different player is likely to be asked if Spurs get awarded a penalty on Wednesday evening in their Barclays Premier League clash against Fulham.

"He's a great goal-scorer but his penalties haven't been so great," Redknapp said. "When you place them, unless you can be accurate and stick them up there in the top corner like the boy Jermaine Beckford did for Leeds.

"Julian Dicks was a great penalty taker and Ray Stewart at West Ham used to smash them. The one Beckford took was world-class, right up in the top corner.

"There are plenty of people here. Tom Huddlestone can take them, Niko Kranjcar can take penalties very well. It wouldn't be a problem for them two. We will have to look at it.

"I haven't told Jermain yet but I will have a word with him. He would want to carry on because he loves scoring goals. You know what he's like."

While Fabio Capello may be worried about Defoe's ability in a penalty shoot-out, the England manager will be delighted with the striker's overall performance leading up to the World Cup.

With 19 goals for club and country so far, Roman Pavlyuchenko has been kept out of the starting XI and is looking for a move back to Russia, with Lokomotiv Moscow leading the chase.

"It's difficult," said Defoe on Sky Sports News. "It's important to stay professional. At times when you are not playing it is difficult.

"I can understand that. When I wasn't in the team at Spurs it was difficult. You wake up in the morning and feel there is nothing to prepare for. When you are playing you come to training and prepare right, you're happy and buzzing.

"It must be difficult for Pav. He hasn't figured much this season and to be honest he came on and did well to get the goal against Leeds." Pavlyuchenko has picked up a groin injury ahead of the Fulham clash, with Tom Huddlestone and Ledley King needing late checks on their knee injuries.

Long-term absentees include Benoit Assou-Ekotto (groin), Carlo Cudicini (wrists and pelvis) and Jonathan Woodgate, who has travelled to America for treatment on his groin problem.

"He's got three weeks of treatment to go," Redknapp said. "We didn't feel we were getting where we wanted to get. He went to see someone who he really believes in, who got him fit before. You have to take that chance. "Hopefully he'll come back at the end of the month and feels it's worked. If he has then he'll be back playing, if it hasn't worked we're struggling a bit with it."

John Bostock is available after Brentford decided against keeping the highly-rated youngster on loan.

"He wasn't in the team, he was on the bench on Saturday and the Saturday before," Redknapp said. "When they go out on loan they have to go out and get in the team, don't they, the manager hasn't got a divine right to have to play them because they come from Tottenham.

"He's got terrific ability, you just hope he will do it. Maybe I need to get him working with and training with the first XI, get him in the squad a bit and see what he can do."