Antonio Conte has confirmed that Dele Alli, who has been linked with a move away from Tottenham in January, will start Tottenham’s FA Cup third-round clash against Morecambe.
Alli has started two Premier League games in December and while the midfielder shone in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool, he struggled to have much of an impact in Tottenham’s 1-1 draw at St Mary’s.
Reports have suggested that Conte does not see Alli as part of his plans and Spurs are willing to let the midfielder leave this month, with Newcastle United and West Ham credited with an interest in the England international.
Fabrizio Romano also said on his recent appearance on Last Word on Spurs’ YouTube channel that Tottenham could cash in on the midfielder if they find a suitable buyer for him this month.
Conte has now revealed that some of his fringe players will get a chance on Sunday as Spurs open their FA Cup campaign.
When asked if some of his players will be rested against Morecambe, he told Football.London: “Yeah, I think for sure this game could be a good opportunity to make rotations and give chances to players who didn’t play so much in the last period.
“But as you know very well, the FA Cup is an important competition and we want to try to go to the next step and it will be important for us to win the game.”
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When asked if Alli could leave Spurs in January, Conte responded: “Dele is one of the players who on Sunday he plays.
“For sure it’s a good opportunity, a good chance to play well and to show that he is a good fit.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Sunday’s game is a good opportunity for some Conte to rest some of his starters, especially given the packed schedule Spurs have had over the past couple of weeks. However, I do not think it is a game that Conte can learn anything from about his players.
Even if the likes of Dele, Ndombele, Lo Celso, Rodon and others do well against the League One side, that is unlikely to bring them closer to a place in Tottenham’s starting eleven for the upcoming clashes against Chelsea and Arsenal.
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