Last updated on .From the section Football

Van der Vaart was a peripheral figure before being substituted against Chelsea

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has said Rafael van der Vaart has not suffered a hamstring tear as first feared.

The 28-year-old was substituted during Spurs' 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Thursday and Redknapp had feared he could be out until the new year.

But speaking to Sky Sports News, Redknapp said: "He looks okay.

"He looks like he could be fit [to face Norwich on 27 December]."

Spurs will though be without winger Aaron Lennon for "weeks" after he injured his hamstring against Sunderland.

Lennon, 24, was absent for Thursday's draw with Chelsea at White Hart Lane, which saw Emmanuel Adebayor give Tottenham the lead after only eight minutes before Daniel Sturridge equalised for the visitors.

"We had no one who could play wide right to give us the balance we needed," said Redknapp.

"When Aaron Lennon is not out there, we haven't really got a wide right player."

Winger Gareth Bale made a timely return to the Spurs side after missing the 1-0 win over Sunderland with a sprained ankle and provided the assist from which Adebayor opened the scoring.

Redknapp was not downbeat after the result, despite his side dropping two points that leaves them third in the table, seven points behind second-placed Manchester United.

"It was a good game of football and a fair result," added Redknapp. "They came back, we started great and murdered them for the first 25 minutes, but they came back strongly in the second half."

Tottenham's remaining fixtures this year are away games at Norwich and Swansea on 27 and 31 December respectively. Their first game of 2012 is a home game against West Brom on 3 January.