Tottenham Hotspur will now be without both Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Yves Bissouma for the Champions League knockout clash against AC Milan next week, following the Mali international’s injury blow.
Spurs confirmed today that Bissouma is set to undergo surgery on Friday after he suffered a stress fracture to his left ankle. They did not provide a return date for the midfielder as he needs to be assessed after surgery before that can be determined.
However, it does leave Antonio Conte two players short in his midfield for the first-leg tie against AC Milan in the Champions League, with Hojbjerg banned for the fixture.
This is because the Dane picked up his third yellow card of the Champions League campaign in added time of Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Marseille (TransferMarkt).
UEFA’s rules state that yellow cards carry over to the knockout stages and do not get wiped out until after the completion of the quarter-finals.
While Rodrigo Bentancur has been a go-to choice for Conte this season in the starting XI, the Italian will likely have to call on one of Oliver Skipp or Pape Matar Sarr for the mammoth Champions League night under the lights.
Spurs Web Opinion:
I suspect that Conte may think it is a little too much for Pape Matar Sarr given his age, and Oliver Skipp has a lot more experience in bigger games. Either way, Conte will likely give us a hint against Leicester as to which one he prefers for the AC Milan game.
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