Antonio Conte could be left with as many as 13 Tottenham first team stars that will be looking to impress throughout the upcoming international break.
Premier League action is set to pause for around six weeks as the World Cup gets underway in Qatar later this month, giving a number of fringe players the opportunity to stake a claim for a starting spot once the English top-flight resumes on Boxing Day. The likes of Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris are set to head to the Middle-East, while there is a doubt over whether Son Heung-min will be available after undergoing surgery on a fractured eye socket.
Conte has made it clear that he will look to give the players left behind a good break and has requested that the club heads off to a warm-weather training camp, along with some friendlies to maintain match fitness and help those recovering from injuries get back into shape ahead of the resumption of the Premier League. Back in October, Conte explained: "I gave my idea to the club, I would like to go to a place where the temperature is good, to stay there and have good training sessions and wait for the players to come back from the World Cup."
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The Spurs boss added: "At the same time you have to understand if the club can help me to do it or we have to stay in London but for sure I gave them my idea." With that in mind, football.london takes a look at the Spurs stars that can use the World Cup break to impress Conte and look to earn a starting spot when the Premier League resumes on Boxing Day.
Matt Doherty
Doherty could be one player that benefits from the World Cup break as he looks to become the starting right wing-back under Conte. Emerson Royal is seen as the first choice for the Spurs boss and the arrival of Djed Spence in the summer transfer window threatened Doherty's future at N17.
The Irish defender has played just 368 minutes so far this season in eight appearances across all competitions, but should Royal head off to Qatar with Brazil then Doherty may use the break to prove he should be the starting right wing-back.
Oliver Skipp
Skipp struggled with a foot injury at the start of the season and has found first team opportunities limited following his recovery due to the form of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur. Both midfielders are set to head out to the Gulf later this month giving Skipp the chance to prove he has the quality to perform in one of the key areas on the pitch for Conte.
The young English midfielder has featured in the last three matches for the Lilywhites, but has a tough task ahead of him to displace Hojbjerg and Bentancur with both performing brilliantly at the moment.
Davinson Sanchez
Davinson Sanchez has featured a bit more Spurs of late due to Romero's recent injury although he was an unused substitute in the dramatic 2-1 win against Marseille which sealed the Lilywhites' place in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. Barcelona loanee Clement Lenglet took his chance in the starting line-up as he scored a crucial equaliser, and the Frenchman may stay in the team for the clash against Liverpool this weekend.
Sanchez will be hoping he can regain some form, use the World Cup break and prove he deserves to start as one of the three centre-backs in Conte's system.
Bryan Gil
Bryan Gil was close to leaving N17 in the summer transfer window but remained with Conte's team for the 2022/23 season. Gil has plenty of competition in attack and in the wide areas to deal with, but the young Spaniard is another player that could benefit massively from the six-week break on the horizon.
Gil has played just 42 minutes of football so far this season, mainly featuring in the Champions League. His versatility continues to be a crucial asset in terms of squad depth, but he is yet to show that he deserves a spot in the starting line-up for Conte.
Djed Spence
After signing for Spurs in the summer, Spence was tipped to come in and become an immediate starter for Conte but the young Englishman has played just three minutes of first team football in all competitions so far. The 22-year-old impressed on-loan at Nottingham Forest last season in the Championship but has struggled to force his way into the Spurs first team.
An extended break mid-season may be just what Spence needs to fully adapt to Conte's training and tactics as he aims to jump ahead of Emerson Royal and Doherty in the pecking order at right wing-back.
Lucas Moura
The Brazilian winger has been hampered by a calf injury for the majority of the 2022/23 season so far, but he also dropped down the pecking order following the arrival of Dejan Kulusevski in January earlier this year.
His game time has improved of late following injury troubles for Richarlison and Kulusevski. Moura can play on either flank in a defensive or attacking role making him a useful option to Conte.
The 30-year-old is unlikely to make Brazil's squad after last playing for his country in 2018, and will be hoping he can use the World Cup break to show his manager why he deserves to start once the Premier League resumes on Boxing Day.
Clement Lenglet
The French defender joined Spurs on-loan from Barcelona for the 2022/23 season and has impressed of late, registering two goal contributions in his last four appearances despite only keeping two clean sheets in 11 appearances. Lenglet scored a crucial equaliser against Marseille as Spurs came from behind to secure their place in the Champions League round of 16.
Romero's injury was a major blow to Conte and his team but Lenglet can use the break later this month to show he can be a capable replacement and even be a starter on a regular basis once the Premier League resumes in December.
Yves Bissouma
Bissouma signed from Brighton in the summer transfer window but has found it hard to displace Hojbjerg and Bentancur in the starting line-up. The Mali midfielder has only completed 90 minutes on two occasions so far this season and is yet to register either a goal or an assist.
Bissouma will be hoping that he can prove to Conte he deserves to start in midfield whilst both Hojbjerg and Bentancur are away on international duty. The 26-year-old may be set to start for Spurs when they face Brentford on Boxing Day because he would have had more rest and training under Conte as the Lilywhites' boss prepares his team for the resumption of Premier League action.
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