‘Still not ready’: Antonio Conte says he won’t be starting £75k-a-week Tottenham player vs Crystal Palace

Tue 3 January 2023 13:15, UK

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte will be hoping to see a better showing from his side against Crystal Palace tomorrow.

Spurs have picked up just one point from their two games since the Premier League restart after the World Cup.

Tottenham started the season brilliantly, but their form tailed off once a few key players picked up injuries.

Dejan Kulusevski has quickly become one of Conte’s most important stars, but missed a number of games before the World Cup.

He was unavailable against Aston Villa on Sunday, and Spurs desperately missed the young Swede.

Tottenham have also been without 25-year-old midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur in their last two games.

Bentancur went to the World Cup in Qatar in November, but picked up a knock while with Uruguay.

Conte has now revealed that Bentancur will still not be available to play tomorrow.

He’s hopeful that can play in the club’s next league fixture against rivals Arsenal.

Bentancur not available to face Crystal Palace

: “About Rodrigo Bentancur, he has started to work.

“He’s still not ready and also for the FA Cup game but we hope to have him back for the next Premier League game.”

It’s a positive sign that Bentancur is working towards full fitness again after picking up an adductor injury.

Bentancur has been one of Tottenham’s best players this season, and has attracted interest from Liverpool in the past month.

The chances of Spurs letting him go to a Premier League rival seem very slim unless they make a huge bid.

Tottenham’s midfield has not looked the same without Bentancur, and so it’s a big slow that he’s still not available.

Yves Bissouma has shown glimpses of quality since signing in the summer, while Oliver Skipp is normally dependable.

Neither have the incredible work-rate of Bentancur though, and the Uruguayan has also popped up with some seriously important goals.