Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte will be without midfielder Oliver Skipp as he prepares to face Chelsea this afternoon.
The Lowdown: Spurs start brightly…
Spurs have started this 2022/2023 Premier League campaign very brightly as they seek to build upon a fantastic end to last season.
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Traore
Conte guided the Lilywhites to a top four finish and subsequent Champions League qualification, prompting club owners ENIC to invest their complete faith in the Italian and grant a £150 million equity increase.
Sporting director Fabio Paratici has put these funds to good use, completing six major summer signings in the form of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet and Djed Spence.
A 4-1 opening weekend victory against Southampton followed as the north Londoners kickstarted their ambitious campaign with a convincing win.
The Latest: Skipp unavailable…
In full preparation for their London derby clash against rivals Chelsea today, aiming to maintain the momentum of their Saints thrashing, Conte has been dealt a blow in the form of midfielder Skipp’s availability.
As relayed by the BBC, Tottenham will be without the 21-year-old for their trip to Stamford Bridge due to a foot injury.
The Verdict: Setback for Conte?
A midfield double pivot of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg seems to be the most likely solution for Conte in the absence of Skipp and we’re sure the 53-year-old can’t wait to have his starlet back in action.
As per WhoScored, the Englishman averaged a higher pass accuracy than any Spurs regular in the top flight last season and can instil a real degree of composure when allowed.
It’s little wonder Spurs pundits like John Wenham have called him a ‘valuable asset‘, not least for his ability but also his potential to be even greater.
Indeed, the sooner Skipp can be called upon again, the sooner he can build upon his exciting start to life as a first-team player in N17.
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