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‘He’s not’: Antonio Conte shares why he decided not to start Ivan Perisic for Tottenha against Chelsea yesterday
Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has shared why he decided not to start Ivan Perisic against Chelsea on Sunday, .
In a fiery London derby, Spurs twice came from behind to secure a valuable point, after a below-par display.
The match ended with Conte and Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel both being sent off after the full-time whistle.
Perisic was brought on in the 79th minute for Son Heung-min, with Spurs 2-1 down and chasing a goal.
And Perisic’s introduction had the desired effect, as it was his corner that was headed in by Harry Kane in the 96th minute to level the scores.
Conte shares why he didn’t start Perisic
“It’s not easy to play at Stamford Bridge, so players like Ivan they have a lot of experience.
“I hope to recover him quickly because he’s not the Perisic that I know, but this type of player can help us a lot, and his impact on the game was important.”
Conte’s comments on Perisic will encourage Spurs fans, who now have an even better version of the Croatian to look forward to this season.
Despite coming on for Son, Perisic moved into Ryan Sessegnon’s vacated left wing-back position, allowing Richarlison to play closer to Kane.
With Sergio Reguilon expected to leave the club this summer, Perisic and Sessegnon will be competing for a place in the starting line-up on the left.
The 33-year-old picked up a knock in pre-season, giving Sessegnon the chance to prove his worth to Conte.
His goal against Southampton on the opening day certainly helped his case, but he struggled against Chelsea and was substituted before the hour mark.
Perisic now has an extra week to reach full fitness before Tottenham’s next game against Wolves, which could be enough time to finally make his first competitive start.