Tottenham boss Antonio Conte to undergo surgery today, with presence against Man City in doubt
Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has been given a leave of absence to undergo surgery to remove his gallbladder, the club have confirmed.
The Italian coach fell ill earlier this week with severe abdominal pain and was diagnosed with cholecystitis – a condition that causes redness and swelling of the gallbladder.
With Conte due to have an operation today, he will be given leave to recover from the procedure and will return to managerial duties after an indefinite ‘period of recuperation.’
A brief statement from the official Tottenham website said: “Antonio Conte recently became unwell with severe abdominal pain.
“Following a diagnosis of cholecystitis, he will be undergoing surgery to remove his gallbladder today (Wednesday) and will return following a period of recuperation.
“Everyone at the Club wishes him well.”
Spurs are set for a big game against Manchester City on Sunday, before taking on Leicester City on the 11th of February.
The club have not put a timeframe on their manager’s return, but generally, gallbladder operations require a recovery time of between three and four weeks.
If Conte, as expected, does not return in time for these important fixtures, assistant manager Cristian Stellini is expected to take charge of the squad in the meantime.
Big period for Tottenham as January signings get chance to make an impact
The North London side currently find themselves in fifth place in the Premier League table – three points adrift from fourth-placed Manchester United, having played at least one game more than all the teams above them.
They are still in the Champions League though, with a round of 16 clash with Conte’s former rivals AC Milan set for the 14th of February. Conte will certainly hope to have returned to the dugout in time for that.
This is a big period for Spurs, as it will give new signings a chance to shine within the team and is also an opportunity to reignite their push for a top-four finish.
Tottenham made two exciting signings in the January window. Firstly, they successfully hijacked Everton’s approach for Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma, who joined Conte’s side on loan with an option to buy.
The Dutch attacker made the perfect start to life at the London club, scoring 19 minutes into his debut in a FA Cup clash against Preston North End.
Spurs also penned a last-minute deadline day deal with long-term target Pedro Porro.
The right-back has been on Conte’s radar for a long time and signed on loan from Sporting Lisbon until the end of the season, with an obligation to buy set at £40m.
With two of Tottenham’s right-backs – Matt Doherty (permanent move to Atletico Madrid) and Djed Spence (loan to Rennes, no option to buy) also leaving the club yesterday – there is a lot of pressure on Porro to make the position his own for the second half of the season.
With that in mind, Spurs’ clash with Manchester City will be interesting to watch for many different reasons. Most importantly though, is that Conte makes a full and speedy recovery.
READ MORE: Stunning Tottenham twist as Daniel Levy rips up star’s contract to aid late January transfer
