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Conte shares reason why he’s not picking Joe Rodon for Tottenham
Antonio Conte has praised Joe Rodon and admitted that he may have made a mistake overlooking the Tottenham Hotspur centre-back following their defeat to Wolves on Sunday – .
Quite remarkably, Rodon has only made one appearance in the Premier League this season. And he is yet to play in the top-flight under Conte.
He has been an unused substitute in their last nine league fixtures, including on Sunday when they were beaten 2-0 by Bruno Lage’s men.
Some calamitous defending saw Hugo Lloris beaten twice in the early stages. It was not a good day for the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Ben Davies.
And following the game, Conte was asked about Rodon. He went on to hint that he may have to reevaluate his place in the pecking order following the recent results.
“We are talking about a really good guy,” he said, .
“His commitment is very high but in this moment maybe, maybe I’m making a mistake to pick different players but my evaluation is trying to put on the pitch the best player. If I didn’t do this maybe I did different consideration.”
Conte would be taking huge risk throwing Rodon in for next Tottenham game
Conte’s comments would suggest Rodon may be in contention for Tottenham’s next game. However, looking at the fixture list, that could prove to be a huge gamble.
Spurs travel to face Manchester City next weekend. So it would be a huge ask to expect Rodon to prove a point.
It may be a smarter move to play the Wales international against the likes of Burnley and Leeds. Failing that, Tottenham face Middlesbrough in the FA Cup at the start of March.
It has been a hugely disappointing and frustrating campaign for Rodon. The last thing he surely needs is to be reintroduced into the side for a game against Pep Guardiola’s men.
Conte does need to consider making a change. Both Sanchez and Davies made major mistakes against Wolves.
He is a fan of both players. And Tottenham have an impressive record against the champions in recent years.
Conte’s comments hint that Rodon’s chance is coming. But having waited so long, perhaps the Tottenham defender would be forgiven for being content with the idea of holding on a little longer.