Spurs on injury crisis as four to miss AC Milan clash amid Conte return
In order to continue their UEFA Champions League campaign this season, Tottenham needs to win their match on Wednesday evening.
In their previous match at the San Siro three weeks ago, they suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to AC Milan, and now they must emerge victorious against the Scudetto champions in north London.
Despite coming off two disappointing losses to Sheffield United and Wolves, a win against Stefano Pioli’s team would be a significant boost to Antonio Conte’s side, which has been under scrutiny.
Conte will be returning to the dugout for the first time since the first leg in Italy, following his gallbladder surgery at the beginning of February.
Although he was able to return for the defeats against Leicester and AC Milan, the club announced that he would need more time to recover.
“Yes, yesterday was positive and my feeling was really, really good,” the Italian said when asked how it felt to be back. “You know the importance for me to work with my players, to stay together and work with the staff and prepare for the game. From afar, I tried to stay very close to my staff and the players with the video and try to be linked.
“But, you know well, to be present is totally different. Totally different. I have to thank the whole staff, did a great job. Also, it wasn’t easy for the players to be three weeks without their coach. I know this.
“Now I am back, I’m really happy and we have an important game. It’s a vital game for us because want to go to the next round. We will try to do it and, for this reason, I hope to feel an amazing atmosphere in our stadium. Many times our fans gave us the right boost to overcome a difficult situation.”
In a press conference held at Hotspur Way on Tuesday, Conte shared positive news for Tottenham Hotspur before their upcoming game. He did not mention any new injury concerns, indicating that the same players who played against Wolves over the weekend will be available for selection.
Emerson Royal, who was absent during the FA Cup loss to Sheffield United, made a brief appearance for nine minutes in their game against Wolves. The Brazilian has been a favorite of Conte this season and may be selected to start in place of Pedro Porro.
Tottenham Hotspur is still missing four key first-team players: Yves Bissouma, Hugo Lloris, Ryan Sessegnon, and Rodrigo Bentancur. All four players have been out for several weeks, leaving Conte with limited options in certain areas.
Bissouma had to undergo surgery after suffering a stress fracture last month, while Bentancur sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the club’s 4-1 loss to Leicester. Both midfielders will be unavailable for the foreseeable future.
Rodrigo Bentancur, the Uruguayan international, has undergone a successful surgery for his ruptured anterior cruciate ligament but will not be available to play for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur’s captain Hugo Lloris has been recovering from knee ligament damage sustained during their win over Man City.
Although Lloris’ future with the club is uncertain, he is expected to return by the end of March. Until then, Fraser Forster will continue to play in goal. Ryan Sessegnon, who suffered a hamstring injury last month, is also still out of action.
“He feels pain at the moment,” Stellini told football.london. “We know only this but he can walk so it’s important to feel that he came back to the bench with his leg [injury] and we hope that we can check in a few days that Rodrigo can feel better and he play soon.”
Spurs on injury crisis as four to miss AC Milan clash amid Conte return
