Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte shed light on the fitness issues circling Sergio Reguilon
In conversation with Football.London, Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte gave us an insight regarding the situation of Sergio Reguilon who has been unavailable for quite some time. The Italian manager also insisted that the Spaniard would have to fight hard to regain his position in the squad.
The Lilywhites have struggled to maintain any semblance of consistency in this campaign. It has been a roller coaster ride with a lot of ups and downs. We were knocked out of the FA Cup in midweek in a shock upset to Middlesbrough- one of the many disappointing losses we have suffered so far under Conte.
Spurs have also struggled with injury issues in the last few fixtures with the likes of Oliver Skipp and Japhet Tanganga being unavailable. That being said, the availability of Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Moura after a short spell on the sidelines could be of great value to us.
Reguilon has been another senior squad member whose absence has weakened us down the left flank but Ryan Sessegnon has deputized well for the former Real Madrid wing-back. The young Englishman, who enjoyed loan spells at Fulham and Hoffenheim, assisted the first goal in our recent win against Leeds United.
Speaking to Football.London, Conte shared that the 25-year-old wing-back could still be recovering from the after-effects of Covid. He also highlighted that the Spaniard would have to fight for his place in view of recent performances by Sessegnon.
“He had Covid, I think he had a bit of a problem to recover from this. But Sergio knows very well he has to fight to play, because also there is at this moment Sessegnon, that is playing regularly, he is having good performances.”
Finding the right balance
The 52-year-old manager prefers to play with three defenders at the back- a set-up that has helped him win big trophies at Juventus, Chelsea, and most recently, Inter Milan.
This formation puts a significant creative onus on the wing-backs in his squad. Sessegnon did not have the easiest time at Spurs since his return to N17. Nagging injury issues have also been a huge obstacle and disrupted his momentum on several occasions.
Despite these setbacks, the Englishman was awarded another chance to make his mark due to the unavailability of Reguilon. Sessegnon has taken great advantage of this and is slowly starting to cement his place as a regular in the squad.
Spurs have struggled with inconsistencies this campaign and a top-four finish in the Premier League this season could be viewed as the most realistic target for the club. With several outgoings in the January window, the Lilwyhites have arguably weakened their squad on paper.
Whilst this may have its positives it also brings a lot of strain on a core group of players as they head towards the business end of the season. The packed schedule can increase fatigue and the North Londoners would be hoping to keep all their options available if they are to compete for a top-four spot in the PL.
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The fans would be hoping that the Lilywhites can salvage something out of this season after what has been a disappointing run so far. Sergio Reguilon would also be looking to get back to total match fitness as soon as possible and help us secure a place in the UEFA Champions League next term.
