King's chronic injury problems have resulted in his knee being "bone on bone", the joint swelling up after matches and meaning the Spurs captain cannot play games in quick succession.

The 28-year-old, as usual, will wait until about an hour before kick-off to decide whether he is fit to play against Spurs' next opponents Manchester United at White Hart Lane.

Redknapp will put King in the starting XI if at all possible, because of the influence his captain has - they have not won a Barclays Premier League match this season without him in the side.

Spurs' manager rates King as an international-class player, but his fitness problems mean it is unlikely he will add to his 19 caps.

"I suppose it's going to be difficult for him," said Redknapp.

"Even if he played for us on a Saturday he couldn't play for England on the Wednesday anyway. Playing Saturday-Wednesday is impossible."

King has been previously called up by England boss Fabio Capello but has not played because of injury, and his last appearance for his country was against Estonia 18 months ago.

Last season he was limited to 10 appearances, and Redknapp has to pick and choose which games he should pencil his captain in for.

Playing in a limited amount of games may not give King much of a bargaining tool when his contract runs out in 2010.

"If you get 20 games a year out of him, it's 20 games you've got a better chance of winning," Redknapp said.

"He's that important to us - and he's a great lad as well. He deserves to be looked after.

"What would he be like if he didn't have that injury? What would he be like if he was super-fit and could train every day?

"It's a bit like Paul McGrath when he was at United and Villa. They used to wheel him out at Villa. He'd spend all week on the bike in the gym and was the best player on the Saturday."

Unfortunately, Redknapp fears King's condition is similar to that of his son Jamie - whom King succeeded as Spurs captain when he had to retire in 2005.

"He's been everywhere," the manager said, of King's attempts to find a cure for his ills.

"There's no cartilage. There's nothing there to operate on - it's bone on bone, and he's playing in discomfort.

"It can't be doing him any good in the long term. I've seen it with my own son, so I know what he's going through. He had it exactly the same.

"He wants to keep playing while he can, and I'd love to see that."

Redknapp wants King fit to keep Dimitar Berbatov or United's other forwards quiet.

If Berbatov recovers from an Achilles problem, he is set for a hostile reception - after demanding a move to United before his transfer deadline-day move.

"He didn't seem the type of player you would keep if he wasn't happy," said Redknapp.

"What do you do if somebody walks in here every morning with the hump? If he's not happy and he doesn't want to be here, what do you do?

"You know it's no good for the team; it's about team spirit, and if you've got people like that within your team then you are better off without them.

"You have to make sure you get the right price, and Tottenham did that with Berbatov."

Spurs got more than £30million for the Bulgaria striker, and Redknapp said: "He's only going to be a big fish in a big pond at United.

"I would be surprised if he is very moody there; you wouldn't want to be too moody around Sir Alex. He would soon sort you out."