John Bostock, Tottenham Hotspur's teenage midfielder, will be on the substitutes' bench against Dinamo Zagreb as Harry Redknapp looks to make the Barclays Premier League a priority over Europe.

The Tottenham manager has seen his team take seven points from his first three league games in charge but they are still bottom of the table, meaning Sunday's match at Manchester City takes greater significance than their Uefa Cup group game.

Paul Stalteri, Hossam Ghaly, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Adel Taarabt and Ricardo Rocha were all frozen out of the first team under Juande Ramos and were not registered to play in Europe. Redknapp has since brought them back into the squad but their ineligibility tomorrow means a chance for Bostock. "He's on the bench and I'd love to get him on the pitch," Redknapp said. "He's only 16, a kid with terrific talent and a lovely left foot. He is a special young player with terrific ability. I'd love to get some of the youth team into the first team, that is the long-term aim."

Redknapp stressed the importance of defeating the Croatians but he predicts one of the tightest Premier League relegation battles yet. "I would love to get to a cup final again, but getting Tottenham up the league to a respectable position is key," he said. "We've got a lot on our plate.

"Every game is big for us now, the league games especially [that are] coming up. It's so tight, there are 14 teams in a position where they will be looking over their shoulder worried at what is coming. I've never seen a tighter league and it may take more points than normal to stay up.

"At the moment the ambition is to make sure we get out of the bottom group of the table, then you can relax and play with less fear."

Redknapp will rest Ledley King, the captain, tomorrow while Jermaine Jenas is struggling with a toe injury, Jamie O'Hara is suspended and Roman Pavlyuchenko and Vedran Corluka are cup-tied. Heurelho Gomes is expected to remain in goal although Redknapp has spoken to the Brazilian about selecting the best time to come for the ball. "He has to have belief in his centre halves that he doesn't always have to come for every ball," he said.