Redknapp did pick the 25-year-old, but he put in an off-colour performance during his 65 minutes on the pitch.

With Chelsea’s initial £22m bid for the player coming in June, Modric’s future has been the source of speculation for 10 weeks now and it will only stop when the transfer window shuts on Wednesday night.

Redknapp admitted yesterday that the furore surrounding the former Dinamo Zagreb man has affected his team’s start to the season.

“There has been a feeling around the place that the place hasn’t been right since the start of pre-season,” Redknapp said.

“It has been a bit of a difficult period really.

“When people want to go it can be a problem but hopefully in another day or two when the window closes he will still be here and we’ll all move on.”

Redknapp has so far only added Emmanuel Adebayor and Brad Friedel to his first team squad, but has been linked with numerous other players.

Wilson Palacios’ impending departure to Stoke means Spurs could wrap up their long-running pursuit of Scott Parker from West Ham in the next 24 hours while Lassana Diarra has also been heavily linked with the club.

Redknapp has also been tipped to take Craig Bellamy from Manchester City and a new centre half could also be purchased before Wednesday night’s deadline.

The Spurs boss hopes any new arrivals will give his squad a lift.

“We will get one or two in in the window,” Redknapp said following yesterday’s 5-1 defeat to Manchester City.

“I have said to the chairman that the place needs a little lift now. I feel I have got everything I can out of them now. We made one real signing in Rafa (van der Vaart) last summer. We need to freshen the place up a bit.”

Explaining Modric’s actions yesterday, Redknapp said: “Luka came to me at 11.30 this morning and said to me: ’I don’t feel my head is right today’. I said: ’I feel you need to play today, Luka. I need you to play. You need to come and play’.”

Edin Dzeko was on target four times for City in yesterday’s rout at White Hart Lane, with Sergio Aguero scoring the other. Younes Kaboul got Spurs’ consolation.

The hammering of a team considered one of City’s main rivals means Roberto Mancini’s side have won all three of their opening Barclays Premier League games, scoring 12 goals in the process.

The City boss was keen to play down the hype surrounding his team though, saying: “This is a very long season and it’s important that we started well. The next games will be very hard because now everyone thinks we will score three or four goals, but that is impossible.”

Spurs, meanwhile, will assess Van der Vaart this morning amid fears the Dutchman tore his hamstring during yesterday’s second half.