Antonio Conte has revealed that just two of his players are unavailable for the clash against Liverpool due to COVID-19.
Tottenham are set to take to the field on Sunday for the first time since they beat Norwich City 3-0 on December 5.
The North Londoners’ clashes against Rennes, Brighton and Leicester had been called off due to an outbreak of the virus while their match against Burnley was also previously postponed due to heavy snowfall at Turf Moor.
Liverpool have confirmed that they could be without Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones after the three players returned positive results this week.
Conte has now revealed that from the Tottenham first-team players who initially tested positive for COVID, just two are yet to return to action.
The Spurs head coach told Football.London: “Today another player [returned to training], but at the start of the week, two players were back also.
“Now we have only two players that are not able and they are positive but we hope in two, three days to solve totally the situation and have the whole squad available.”
MORE SPURS STORIES
“Now the situation is good for us because we had 50 per cent of the squad with Covid, and the staff totally. Now we are going out of this situation.
“We have to pay great attention and to continue to have a good behaviour, to be safe and also to make safe our families and all the people who stay with us.”
Spurs have had an unexpected two-week break in the middle of the season due to the outbreak but Conte has not been able to make use of it, with several of his players isolating and the training ground even being closed down for a few days.
The 52-year-old admitted that it was challenging to work on the tactical aspects in training with so many players missing.
He added: “In these two weeks, for three days we didn’t have a training session and then we had a training session with only 10, 12 players, also because with the U23 players there was COVID.
“Now for two, three days I have a squad without two, three players. Now we are having a full training session but for sure, it wasn’t easy to face this situation and to train the players.
“To have 12 players is very difficult. To try something under a tactical aspect, usually, if you want to try to play a formation you need 20 players and it’s not simple to do this. You have to train with mannequins and I stopped. It’s not easy. It’s not the same thing.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It is good news that only two players are unavailable as that suggests that Conte will be able to put out a strong team on Sunday.
However, the Italian might not be able to get 90 minutes out of some of the players who returned from isolation as their bodies continue to recover from the virus.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
