Grieving Palacios flies home

Tottenham do not expect midfielder Wilson Palacios to play for them again this season following the apparent murder of his teenage brother in Honduras.

The £14million signing flew home to the Central American country on Saturday, after what are thought to be the remains of his 16-year-old brother Edwin were discovered 150 miles from the capital Tegucigalpa.

Edwin, the youngest of five football-playing brothers, was seized by armed kidnappers from his home in the coastal town of La Ceiba following Wilson's move to Birmingham in August 2007. He moved to Wigan in January 2008.

Palacios had left the Spurs team hotel in Liverpool on Saturday morning ahead of the club's 0-0 draw at Everton.

A Spurs spokesman said: "Wilson has gone home, obviously, on compassionate leave. We would not expect to see him again for a while."

Spurs have just two games left this season, at home to Manchester City next Saturday and then away to Liverpool on the season's final day, May 24.

The club are in mourning now for the second time in a matter of weeks following the murder of a relative of one of their players.

Earlier this month striker Jermain Defoe's half-brother Jade, 26, was attacked in an east London street.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp said: "It is quite amazing and tragic that two of our players have suffered the loss of a relative like this within a couple of weeks of each other."