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Premier League

Roman Pavlyuchenko wants to add to his first Tottenham goal and lift them off the bottom of the Premier League.

Striker Pavlyuchenko, 26, has admitted to finding training tough in England since his move from Spartak Moscow last month, but his midweek strike against Newcastle has helped smooth his transition.

Next for Spurs is Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Sunday when they face Jermain Defoe, one of the three first-team strikers who have left White Hart Lane since January.

Pavlyuchenko has been signed to help replace Defoe, Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane, and the Russia international wants to add to his effort at St James' Park.

"I'm very pleased," he said. "I've been waiting to score a goal and I was very pleased for the team that I was able to score this goal.

"I didn't score in either of my first two games and thoughts started to enter my mind that I needed a goal to boost my confidence.

"I think the Newcastle result should give us confidence as a team for the upcoming games and we should only be thinking about going forward from here."

Jamie O'Hara, who scored the other goal against crisis-torn Newcastle, has backed Pavlyuchenko to score the goals to turn around Spurs' season.

"It's probably been a tough start for him," said the midfielder. "His English isn't very good but he's a real character and we all know he'll be a great signing for the club.

"It's great for him to get off the mark, it was an important goal and hopefully that will help settle him down."

Getting players to settle in has been the big problem for head coach Juande Ramos. A shortage of strikers meant David Bentley had to play out of position, Pavlyuchenko arrived on the back of a season in Russia and Euro 2008, while Luka Modric has struggled with the physical side of the Premier League.

Giovani dos Santos, however, has had help from Spurs' London rivals Chelsea.

"I am very good friends with Deco," said Giovani, who played with the Portugal playmaker at Barcelona. "It's great that I have a friend here in London.

"He is a great player and, as he has shown already, he is going to do very well in the Premier League."

Ramos will make a late check on left-back Gareth Bale after the Wales international picked up a foot injury against Newcastle.

Right-back Alan Hutton is still out with his foot problem and is now a doubt for Scotland's clash against Norway on October 11 as he will not have a scan until next week at the earliest.

"Reality is that we are bottom," Ramos said. "Maybe in one month we will have moved up a little, in three months maybe more. It is little by little and I am looking in the short term."