Antonio Conte and five players return, Kulusevski…

Antonio Conte and five players return, Kulusevski sharp - Things spotted in Tottenham training

Conte returns

Returning to Hotspur Way last Monday to recommence their training ahead of the second part of the Premier League season, not everyone was back at the club's Enfield training base. Missing a number of players because of their World Cup participation, Tottenham boss Antonio Conte was another not present.

Even though the players may have only had a fortnight off following the 4-3 win over Leeds United, it was very much a case of starting again as the they underwent a variety of tests and exercises that they go through on the first day of pre-season training. Fitness was very much the theme to the sessions as they worked closely with the fitness coaches, thus allowing Conte to have an extra few days off with his family as Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason took charge.

With the focus now very much on ball work rather than their fitness, the Italian is back at Hotspur Way and he could be seen keeping a close eye on proceedings and giving his players instructions in the training photos released by the club.

Trio back after international duty

With all eyes on the World Cup since it got under way just over two weeks ago, some fans may not have noticed that Tottenham did have a few players in international action away from the tournament. Davinson Sanchez, Matt Doherty and Bryan Gil were the players in question, representing Colombia, Republic of Ireland and Spain U21s respectively.

Given a few extra days off as a result of their international exploits in November, the trio are now back on the training pitch with the rest of their Spurs teammates. As regular first-team football hasn't come their way since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, the next few weeks are crucial to all three as they look to give their boss something to think about.

The trio will be intent on making a big impression on Friday when the Lilywhites host Motherwell in a friendly at Hotspur Way.

Tanganga and Sessegnon spotted

Not everyone was spotted in the training content released by the club last week despite the players returning to training at Hotspur Way. Lucas Moura, Ryan Sessegnon and Japhet Tanganga, all of whom have suffered injury issues over the course of the campaign, were not seen with the rest of their teammates

Lucas didn't appear to be involved once again in the latest training session but Tanganga and Sessegnon were both present. Given that injuries have played a big part in their Tottenham careers so far, it is vital for Tanganga and Sessegnon to make their case to Conte as game time could come their way from Boxing Day onwards with players possibly returning from the World Cup only a few days before the Brentford fixture.

Youngsters train

Seeing 11 of the current Tottenham first-team squad depart for Qatar last month, the numbers in training have been limited since the non-internationals made their comeback last Monday. A host of the club's academy stars have made the step up to ensure Conte and his coaching team have enough players to work with and they can do the training exercises they require.

A healthy number of academy stars were involved in the latest training session, including players such as Romaine Mundle, Maksim Paskotsi, Charlie Sayers, Alfie Devine, Brooklyn Lyons-Foster, Yago Santiago, Nile John and Max Robson. Game time may come their way on Friday against Motherwell as Conte will look to rotate his players and not push them too much after almost four weeks without a game.

Kulusevski sharp

Kulusevski will be looking to make up for lost time once Premier League action resumes on Boxing Day. Picking up an injury on Sweden international duty in September and missing Tottenham's following ten games, the 22-year-old returned as a second-half substitute against Liverpool at the start of November and registered an assist seconds into his comeback.

Notching another one in the 4-3 win over Leeds United, it's fair to say opponents should be concerned about coming up against him in the second part of the season as he looks to make an immediate impact. The Swede certainly looks sharp if the club's training footage is anything to go by.

Picked out following a terrific pass by Tanganga, Kulusevski's first touch was exquisite and it put him in a great position to fire in an unstoppable effort that arrowed into the bottom corner past Alfie Whiteman. Friday's game against Motherwell can't come soon enough for the attacker.

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