Tottenham Hotspur: Emmanuel Adebayor doubtful as Spurs career approaches inevitable end

Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor is doubt for the Premier League visit of Hull City due to illness as the Togo international prepares to enter the final 12 months of his contract at White Hart Lane.

Adebayor has made nine league starts for Spurs this season and has made just one appearance since March during a campaign where injury, personal issues and lack of form have dominated his campaign.

The 31-year-old will enter the final year of his Tottenham contract this summer with the transfer window representing the final chance for the north London club to attract a substantial fee for the forward.

Vlad Chiriches's red card against Stoke City means he is out of the visit of relegation-threatened Hull, while Ben Davies and Kyle Walker remain out injured and could miss the rest of the season.

Though hopes of finishing in the Champions League places are a distant dream, Tottenham can still secure a Europe League place by finishing either fifth or sixth.

Four points separate them from Liverpool in fifth while they lead Southampton by a single point, meaning they can ill afford to slip up against Steve Bruce's side who are desperate for points after they fell into the bottom three in the Premier League after losing to Burnley.

"I think this is important. Our motivation needs to be like them," said Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino. "You play for survival, you play to take a place in the Europa League. I think you need to be motivated in the same way.

"Always it's difficult to play against a team that plays for survival in the Premier League. They have one, maybe two chances and this is the first for them, but for us we need to feel it's as important like them.

"We play to finish in the top five or six and we need to get the three points. We need to feel it's not only Hull playing for something important."