It must feel like one step forward and two steps back for Juande Ramos, the Tottenham Hotspur head coach, since the Carling Cup final triumph over Chelsea in February. With only four victories in 18 competitive matches, and none this season, the North London club will try to use the Uefa Cup to kick-start their campaign.

That challenge begins this evening with a first-round, first-leg match against Wisla Krakow at White Hart Lane. The Polish team were knocked out of the Champions League in the third qualifying round by Barcelona.

It is perhaps not what Daniel Levy, the chairman, wanted to hear, but Ramos said yesterday that he does not know how long it will take for his team to gel after a summer of comings and goings. Tottenham’s solitary point this season came from a 1-1 draw away to Chelsea, but the spirit they showed in that performance has been missing in their other three league matches.

“I am worried because we need points at the moment — to only have one point in the league is a difficult situation,” Ramos said. “I would say to the supporters that they need to have confidence in the team. I don’t know about \ top four, but anything is possible.”

Tottenham are still adjusting to life without Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane, a feared attacking partnership, while trying to bed in new players, some of whom may take time to adjust to the physical demands of the English game. Luka Modric, who was substituted less than half an hour into the 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa on Monday, will not play this evening because of a knee injury. Vedran Corluka, who is cup-tied, and Alan Hutton, who has a foot injury, will be missing in defence but Ledley King is expected to return alongside Jonathan Woodgate.

“The team played a long time with Berbatov and Keane as habitual strikers,” Ramos said. “Now it’s different. We need to start in the beginning again. We need to understand this situation. We need to improve, little by little. It could be 10, 12 or 15 \. There is no limit. I don’t know. We need to be patient. In some positions we are better than last year, in others we are worse.”

Tottenham Hotspur (possible; 4-4-1-1): H Gomes — C Gunter, J Woodgate, L King, G Bale — D Bentley, D Zokora, J Jenas, A Lennon — Giovani Dos Santos — D Bent.

Wisla Krakow (possible; 4-4-2): M Pawelek — M Baszczynski, A Glowacki, Cléber, J Díaz — W Lobodzinski, M Cantoro, R Sobolewski, M Zienczuk — R Boguski, Pawel Brozek.

Referee: L Cardoso Cortez Batista (Portugal).

Television: Live on Setanta Sports 1 from 7.30pm (kick-off 8.10).