Tottenham are short of numbers for today’s friendly with Nice after a stomach bug hit the squad.
Oliver Skipp and Djed Spence miss the game after Antonio Conte admitted several players were affected, though Heung-min Son is fit enough for a place on the bench.
“I have to be honest we have some problems with some players,” said the Italian. “Because Sonny, in the last two days he didn’t have training for the fever. It was the same today for Skippy and Spence. Many players have a bit of stomach problem.”
Ben Davies is fit to start having suffered a stomach muscle issue at the World Cup.
Richarlison and Rodrigo Bentancur miss out while recovering from hamstring and thigh injuries, respectively, with a return in the New Year set out by Conte.
The coach said: “Rodrigo has started to work. I think that he’s going to be good for the game against Aston Villa. For Richy, tomorrow he’s going to have an MRI [scan] to know the importance of the injury. After tomorrow we will see the time he needs to recover.”
Also absent is Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic and Cristian Romero after their participation in the final weekend of the World Cup. Harry Kane and the rest of Spurs’ stars in Qatar have not yet been pictured back in training.
Spurs beat Motherwell 4-0 in their only other friendly of the World Cup break, Antonio Conte picking Harvey White and Charlie Sayers to start in that game in early December.
Dejan Kulusevski and Bryan Gil started up front with Matt Doherty scoring a brace from left wing-back, a position he occupied due to a hamstring issue for Ryan Sessegnon and remains in tonight.
Lucas Moura, Emerson Royal, Clement Lenglet and Fraser Forster start having missed the Motherwell game with knocks.
Confirmed team news
Tottenham XI: Forster; Tanganga, Sanchez, Lenglet; Royal, Bissouma, Hojbjerg, Doherty; Kulusevski, White, Gil
Subs: Austin, Whiteman, Paskotsi, Dier, Davies, Sayers, Cesay, Sarr, Sessegnon, John, Lankshear, Son, Devine, Mundle, Santiago
