Bale lies in wait for AC Milan

Harry Redknapp has stayed true to his word and named Gareth Bale on the bench for Tottenham’s Champions League showdown against AC Milan tonight.

Bale has struggled to recover from a back injury and Steven Pienaar took his place on the left, while Redknapp has opted to play Peter Crouch alongside Rafael van der Vaart up front, with Jermain Defoe dropping to the bench.

Vedran Corluka returns at right-back and there is a surprise place among the substitutes for club captain Ledley King, who has missed the last five months with a groin injury.

Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri has named Mathieu Flamini and Robinho in an attacking XI which also includes former Spurs midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng.

Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Modric, Sandro, Pienaar, Van der Vaart, Crouch.

Subs: Cudicini, Hutton, Bale, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe, King.

AC Milan: Abbiati, Abate, Thiago Silva, Nesta, Jankulovski, Boateng, Flamini, Seedorf, Robinho, Ibrahimovic, Alexandre Pato.

Subs: Amelia, Strasser, Papastathopoulos, Oddo, Merkel, Yepes, Antonini.

Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).