Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte issues latest injury update on Matt Doherty
Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has given the latest injury update on Matt Doherty ahead of the match against Brighton and Hove Albion. The Premier League fixture will be hosted at N17 this weekend, but the home side would have to deal without the right wing-back’s services.
Doherty picked up the blow in the first half of the 4-0 win against Aston Villa following a challenge from Matty Cash. He tried to carry on for some time but was unable to do so and was forced to be substituted. Following the game, it was claimed that the knee injury suffered by him would see him miss out on the rest of this season.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference (h/t Football.London), Conte has now confirmed the extent of the Irishman’s injury, which will see him sit on the stands for the remainder of this campaign. The boss did add that surgery will not be needed as the doctor has suggested that recovery is possible without going under the knife.
“No. I think the first visit with the doctor said he can recover without surgery. His type of situation, different opinions and make the best decision. Seven – eight weeks before he recovers. For this reason, his season has finished. it is a pity as Doherty was an important player for us.”
Unfortunate setback
The 30-year-old had never found his feet at Spurs since leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers to join them back in 2020 for £15million in transfer fees. However, the Italian boss was able to get the best out of him by using a formation that plays to the defender’s strengths.
The rewards were noticeable in the past few weeks as the former Wolves man was performing at his best self since joining Tottenham. However, this knee injury will halt his progress, which would undoubtedly be a difficult pill to swallow indeed.
We would need to deal with his absence which would be a bit of a challenge indeed. After all, Emerson Royal has failed to impress so far, although he has shown some signs of quality recently. We are hopeful that Emerson can raise his game and take advantage of the opportunity that came his way.
We would also need to take care of Brighton without Oliver Skipp and Japhet Tanganga as well. Skipp has not recovered from his groin issue, while Tanganga has been ruled out for the rest of this term with a knee injury.
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Ryan Sessegnon is expected to return this Saturday against Graham Potter’s side, which would be a sigh of relief. Let’s hope to see him get some game time to regain his match sharpness after being on the sidelines for too long.
We would face a stern challenge from the Seagulls, who will be boosted with morale from the 2-1 victory over Arsenal. We must be wary of them, but a win should be our target to continue our momentum so that we can further cement our control in the top-four race of the league table.
