Antonio Conte has said the international break comes at a bad time for Tottenham, who finally ended their farcical win-loss-win-loss run with back-to-back victories over Brighton and West Ham last week.
Although the hiatus threatens to disrupt Spurs’ rhythm, Conte is one of the world’s best training ground coaches, so an uninterrupted two-week period will give him the chance to drill and improve his remaining players.
Here are three jobs for Spurs and Conte during the next fortnight…
Get Skipp fit
Conte has said he is hopeful of having Oliver Skipp available after the break, and possibly even in time to face Newcastle on April 3.
Elsewhere at the club, that is considered hugely wishful thinking, with Skipp having been told to rest by specialists due to a difficult pelvic issue.
Even if a return in the next few weeks is unlikely, Spurs will be hoping Skipp is free to play some part in the run-in, with Conte desperately short of trusted first-team players, particularly in midfield.
The club will also be hoping to use the break to get Ryan Sessegnon closer to a return from his latest hamstring problem.
Work on defending set-pieces
Four of the last nine League goals Spurs have conceded have come from set-pieces, including Said Benrahma’s effort for West Ham on Sunday, which bore a worrying resemblance to Morecambe’s goal against Conte’s side in early January.
Conte has been aware of the problem for weeks but Spurs are showing few signs of improvement, and the head coach is likely to use the break to scrutinise the issue and find a solution.
Part of the problem is surely that Spurs simply do not have many aerially dominant players, with none of their three regular centre-backs especially imposing in the air.
Hope and pray
International breaks have not been kind to Spurs this season.
Conte’s predecessor, Nuno Espirito Santo, found his positive start derailed by a disastrous spate of injuries in September’s break, while the following month’s was also disruptive.
Conte then lost key man Cristian Romero for three months in November’s break, so will be praying for no injuries this time around.
With squad depth an issue at Spurs, Conte can scarcely afford to lose a single member of his current XI, least of all Harry Kane, Heung-min Son or Romero.
The Argentina defender has joined up with the national squad, despite being suspended for both their World Cup qualifiers which must have frustrated Conte.
