Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe has been denied the chance to face Tottenham this weekend due to Premier League rules over loan deals becoming permanent.

The 25-year-old moved from Spurs in the transfer window but the deal was rushed through as a loan before he signed as a Pompey player early in January.

"The rules are clear," said a Premier League spokesman. "A player who is taken on loan and then during the course of the transfer window, if that loan is made permanent, he is not allowed to play against the team who originally loaned him."