#PLStories- Antonio Conte on Djed Spence, Bryan Gil, Kulusevski injury and not rotating Dier #THFC
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Are there any fresh injury concerns?
We are the same players of the last game. Deki is still not available for the game against Everton. The rest of the players are ok.
What’s the Kulusevski time-frame?
I think we need to have a bit of patience with him. Don’t take stupid risks, because we have to play a lot of games from now until November. It will be very important to recover him very well. At this moment, he’s not 100% sure to be really fit, to be in perfect physical condition. For this reason it’s good to respect the opinion of the doctors of the players.
This is first of six Premier League games before the World Cup, four of them are at home, what is the squad capable of at this stage of the season, the title?
I think we have to try to do our best, it means that the more points we have got, to put into the table, will be important. Especially in [for] the moment that for sure, during the season, you can have tough moments when you lose games, and you drop points. For us, every game has to be an important chance to get points, to improve the table. But if you ask me something different, for me is very difficult to answer. Our first target is to try to do our best, to improve the points that we did last season. And to try to go to the next round of the Champions League. And then we’ll see, we’ll see what happens.”
Everton only conceded nine goals so far, the joint best in the Premier League, what game are you expecting tomorrow?
Everton is a really good team, with a really good manager, because Frank Lampard is showing to be a good manager. He had a really important experience with Chelsea. And now he is working very well with Everton. They started the season so-so, but now I think they reached a good stability. They have a good balance and they’re showing great solidity, especially defensively. We have to pay great attention, to attack in the right way and the game won’t be easy. And we played only two days ago. And I think we lost a lot of mental energy. Because Champions League is a fantastic competition to play, but at the same time, you lose a lot of energy in this competition. But we are ready. And we prepared the game today. I think we are ready to play a good game. It will be very important, the support of our fans, in our stadium. Because in the past, our fans pushed us a lot. They gave us a special push.”
Two more goals for Son – how pleased are you with his return to form?
I wasn’t really worried about Sonny or if last season Harry didn’t score goals. I think we are talking about two important players for us and they work very well. It can happen during the season that you have a period that you can’t score or are a bit unlucky. But I repeat: we are talking about two important strikers. For sure at the end of the season, I know they are going to score more goals to help us to try to do our best.
Will Kulusevski be OK for Old Trafford?
In this moment, honestly it is a bit difficult to answer yes or not. It depends. It depends on the new MRI he did today about what the doctors say about his situation. Also, the feeling of the player. I was a player and in this situation, it is important to respect the feeling of the player because the player has to feel he is OK 100 per cent otherwise I think it is not good to take stupid risk.
Who starts at right-back tomorrow?
We played also before without Emerson against Brighton. Matthew played a good game. He is recovering good form and I am really pleased for this because he struggled a lot, this guy, to come back at an important level. Last season, I think Matthew struggled at the start but then he played an important season for us. My hope [is] to have more options in this role also for Djed [Spence], I think he is improving and starting to understand which is the demand to stay at Tottenham. But I’m pleased if I have more options. Then I have only to pick the best choice, I’m happy.
Eric Dier has started every game, how difficult is it to rotate him?
There are specific roles that is very, very difficult to make rotation. I think that position, the central defenders, is very very important. I think he is playing a really good season. In that position, we can use also Cristian Romero, Sanchez could play, but if I have the possibility and the player give me the availability and tell me that he recovered energy, there are positions in the team that it is better to continue to play.
What did you make of Bryan Gil’s cameo on Wednesday?
Yeah but you know that for me all the players in my squad are really important. They have to show me that they are ready to help us. I ask only this. But I have great respect for all my players and I think this respect, they feel this respect because in every training session my attention is the same for every single player, for Harry Kane but also if the player is [Harvey] White or Pape Sarr. We are talking about two really important prospects. I ask only to give me the opportunity to be relaxed and if I give the opportunity to these players to play, only this. Gil is a really good prospect. He is becoming stronger, physically, because he has in this moment only this gap for Premier League, it’s physical, you know? Otherwise technically he understands football in an important way. I’m sure that we’re talking about a player that will be an important prospect for the future. Now he’s building also, he’s improving on the physical aspect and for us that’s important.
Will the core players be continuing to start through to the World Cup?
I’m not telling this, but for sure I repeat there are important roles that if the players don’t drop the performance they could play. In this moment, Pierre [Emile Hojbjerg], Rodrigo Bentancur, also Harry [Kane], Eric [Dier] are playing amazing football and in this moment I think that it’s better to stay on the pitch and to play, to start the game. Then I hope to continue to have this type of performance for the future. But we have a lot of games in front of us, and every player has to be ready. You don’t know what can happen. Injuries, the form can drop. I have to be good to understand the moment to make the right rotation. Tomorrow I think that we change something, but it’s OK. It’s positive, because it means that I trust all my players.
Kane and Son’s partnership seems to be key to your team, what makes them so special as a pairing?
You know very well the importance of these players. Also it was the same in the past. Sonny and Kane was the best top scorers in the team. We are working every day to continue to improve this link, but not only between Sonny and Karry, also with Richy, Deki, with Gil, with Lucas, and I think that during training sessions we try to work a lot to build this link stronger and try to arrive us to hurt our opponent. For sure when you have top players it’s easier (laughs). I have to be honest! If we have top players with great quality it’s easier when you try to do something on the pitch and to explain specific movements and the way to hurt your opponents.
The players seem to repeat your philosophy in interviews, how tough was it to get your message and philosophy of football across to them?
I think to transfer this message with the words is not difficult because everyone can speak about mentality, the winning mentality, everybody. The difficulty is to transfer this concept every day through their work, their behaviour. If we want to transfer this concept you have to know this concept because you did this path in the past. Then you have to find players and an environment open to receive this situation. To build a winning mentality is fatigue. You have to be available to do this path. It’s not for all. Many people can ask you but then when they understand the way which you have to go through and they can say it’s not for me. We are working a lot on this aspect. I’m enjoying a lot to work with these players and try to involve the whole Tottenham environment because winning mentality has to be for the whole club and not only for the players. It has to be the whole club.
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