Tottenham captain Ledley King will be left on the sidelines to ensure he is fit for the Carling Cup Final against Chelsea on February 24.

The defender, who pulled out of the England squad for tomorrow's friendly against Switzerland, is struggling with a long-standing knee injury and will not face Derby on Saturday.

King has been told he can play only one game in every three, but there are doubts whether he will even be fit for next week's UEFA Cup second round against Slavia Prague.