Line Up: Spurs v Nottingham Forest – Kulusevski dropped

Antonio Conte has named his Tottenham Hotspur side which will take to the field in this afternoon’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest.

Spurs return to action at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the back of their disappointing Champions League exit to AC Milan on Wednesday evening on a night which frustrated supporters after the side failed to show any fight or creativity to get back into the tie.

Antonio Conte is still the home dugout and a win has to happen regardless of the mood between the coach, club and fans having already turned toxic over the past ten days.

The north Londoners are still without Hugo Lloris, Yves Bissouma, Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Bentancur, while Emerson Royal did not train on Friday due to a knock sustained against the Italians.

Tottenham’s record after 26 Premier League games (W14, D3, L9) is the same as at the corresponding stage last season, when they won eight of their final 12 matches to finish fourth, however, this campaign certainly feels different.

Conte admitted at yesterday’s press conference that the patience of the Spurs fans has worn thin after they were forced to wait yet another year to finally end their long wait for silverware.

Antonio Conte
(Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

He told Football.London: “It’s not on me to say if the atmosphere is good or not good, and for sure and I continue to tell you that here the patience has finished for the fans,”

“The fans want to win trophy. Stop.

“And then you have to find the right solution to make the fans happy and to win trophy in the future, because the patience of the fans has finished, and we feel this. I feel this. The players feel this. For sure this does not help the situation because there are many players in this moment, also young players that are playing, and they need to improve and go step by step to grow.

“We facing a difficult situation also with the injuries – important players that stay out. Lloris, Bentancur, Sessegnon is out, Bissouma is out for the rest of the season. If we undervalue this situation….I think that in every moment, we have to try to create the right atmosphere to help the team, to help the players.

“Because I repeat – in my opinion, also against Milan, they [the players] tried to give everything. Then you weren’t able to go to the next round against a team that won the league last season (he shrugs).

“We are trying to go step by step and to build something important but if you don’t have patience and it is not useful, this. You understand? It’s un-useful, this. In my opinion. For this reason, we have to try to stay together until the end for this season, and to help the players to stay together, to fight, to try to make the best possible position and then, for sure … [pauses] I don’t know what happens. I don’t know what happens.”

This is who takes to the field at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon:

Tottenham XI: Forster; Romero, Lenglet, Dier; Porro, Skipp, Højbjerg, Davies; Richarlison, Son; Kane.

Subs: Austin, Sanchez, Perisic, Danjuma, Kulusevski, Tanganga, Moura, Sarr, Mundle.

Nott’m Forest XI: Navas; Aurier, Worrall, Felipe, Renan Lodi; Freuler, Shelvey, Mangala; Lingard, Gibbs-White; Johnson.

Subs: Hennessey, Williams, Colback, Niakhate, Yates, Dennis, Danilo, Ayew, Wood.

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