Soccer Football - Premier League - Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - January 19, 2022 Tottenham Hotspur's Oliver Skipp reacts after conceding their second goal scored by Leicester City's James Maddison Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Pundit Paddy Kenny has been reacting to an injury update regarding Tottenham midfielder Oliver Skipp, as per Football Insider.
The Lowdown: Skipp still out
The 21-year-old has been ruled out since the end of January with a groin problem, missing Spurs’ last seven games in all competitions as a result.
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Antonio Conte’s side haven’t shown any signs of consistency during that time, combining away wins over Manchester City and Leeds with defeats to Burnley and Middlesbrough.
The Italian confirmed on Friday that he will once again be without Skipp on Monday night against Everton, news which has caught the eye of Kenny.
The Latest: Kenny reacts to Skipp’s injury absence
Talking to Football Insider, the former Sheffield United goalkeeper labelled the 21-year-old’s continued absence as ‘huge news’ and even described it as ‘devastating’ for Conte.
Kenny staed:
“Losing Skipp for such a long period is a far bigger blow than people think.
“His energy, dynamism, work rate, ability on the ball, these are things that Antonio Conte really rates, as he usually picks him when he’s fit.
“It is no coincidence that Spurs’ results have been mixed, and pretty poor, while he has been out.
“Losing him for the next match is huge news, devastating really, as he helps make the team tick.”
The Verdict: Return needed soon
Conte green-lighted January exits for Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso, which has left him with just four central midfield options.
Rodrigo Bentancur joined Skipp on the injury table in recent weeks, leaving Conte with only Harry Winks and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in that part of the pitch.
The January signing is now available to return against the Toffees, but having Skipp back as soon as possible also seems to be imperative as Spurs look to finish in the top four and get back into the Champions League.
In other news: Spurs and Conte gifted another injury boost pre-Everton as ‘team player’ now declared fit
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