Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte rules out Eric Dier out of clash vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
In his press conference (h/t Football.London), Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has ruled out Eric Dier for the upcoming Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Italian manager remains hopeful that the 28-year-old defender can return before the game against Manchester City.
The Englishman has been an integral presence in Tottenham Hotspur’s backline in the last couple of seasons. Whilst there have been certain inconsistencies in his game, Dier has always managed to anchor the backline to the best of his abilities and his absence is proving to be a grave loss to Spurs.
The Lilywhites are also set to be without Oliver Skipp and Ryan Sessegnon for their clash against Wolves. Both of the youngsters were just managing to make their impact on the first team and their absence will limit Conte’s options.
The lack of defensive stability was on display in their last PL match against Southampton where Spurs lost courtesy of two decisive goals in the last ten minutes of the game courtesy of Che Adams and Mohamed Elyounoussi. This inability to see out games has become a real sore point in our hopes of securing a top-four finish.
Conte went on to describe the importance of Eric Dier in the presser (h/t Football.London). He acknowledged that the English defender would not play against the Wanderers but was hopeful that he would return for the clash against the Citizens:
Unfortunately, he’s not fit. For sure he’s a big loss for us. He needs a bit more time to recover. I don’t know, I hope he will be available for the next game against Man City.
Eric Dier and his importance to the Tottenham Hotspur defensive setup
Dier who used to initially be deployed mostly as a defensive midfielder started to play as a central defender more frequently when Jose Mourinho came to the club. The 28-year-old has had his critics throughout the period but has done his best to manage and anchor the defensive setup at N-17.
In the last few years, the club has seen an unprecedented turnover of coaches but the English defender has managed to sustain his position under all of them. The English international is also one of the most capped players for Spurs having already played 302 matches across all competitions for the North Londoners to date.
The Lilywhites have been undergoing a rebuild of sorts and Dier’s experience with the club and pervading culture makes him an important asset. Whilst he is currently not available the North Londoners will have to make do with the players that are currently fit.
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Spurs had to face an embarrassing defeat to the saints in their last fixture. The London-based club will have to put on better performances in their upcoming matches if they are to compete for a UEFA Champions League qualification spot this season. A victory against Wolves would be a great start to get them back on track.
