Antonio Conte has admitted he is unhappy Tottenham are playing so soon after the conclusion of the World Cup.
The Premier League is back just over a week after Argentina and France battled it out in Qatar’s final. Cristian Romero got the better of Spurs teammate Hugo Lloris as the Albiceleste won on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
Tottenham boss Conte has already confirmed Romero will not play and Lloris will feature on the bench, while decisions will be made on quarter-finalists Harry Kane, Eric Dier – who appeared as a substitute in the friendly draw with Nice – and Ivan Perisic.
Spurs are up first on Boxing Day as they visit Brentford in the early kick off and Conte admitted the mid-season World Cup and its effects on fatigue will impact his team selection.
He said: “It is a strange situation and honestly to play so quickly – only one week after the World Cup – I am not really happy.
“But it is normal that when you have so many players play a tournament like this, especially during the season, that now it is not easy because the physical condition is not at the top.
“It is impossible to give them a lot of rest and for sure with the players that didn’t play the World Cup and we work for four weeks, now they are in a great physical condition.
“We work a lot on the tactical aspect and physical aspect. Now they are at a level that is better than the players who finished the World Cup.
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“For this reason I think I have to make the best decision for the game against Brentford. On one side I have players who I worked with for four weeks really well and on the other side, I have players who worked at the World Cup and are not at the top at the moment.”
Son Heung-min also got some minutes in the draw with Nice, while Kane has been pictured back in training ahead of the trip to Brentford.
Rodrigo Bentancur is injured but serving a suspension regardless, while Richarlison is sidelined for a month. Oliver Skipp and Djed Spence have also been suffering with fevers.
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