3 minute read
9/1/2022 | 09:29am
Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has been dealt a major injury blow this week…
What’s the latest?
According to Sky Sports, Spurs forward Heung-min Son is expected to miss the remainder of the month with a muscular injury sustained during their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat at Chelsea in midweek.
It means he will miss this afternoon’s encounter with League One minnows Morecambe in the FA Cup third round, the return leg against the Blues at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night and the north London derby against Arsenal in the Premier League next weekend.
Should Conte still rest Kane with Son out injured?
YES, 100%
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NO WAY!
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Major blow
This will come as a gutting setback to the Italian head coach, especially as it will now make it harder to rest leading striker Harry Kane this weekend.
Conte only has one senior option up front, with Son being able to provide cover there if need be, so to have him unavailable against a side of the Shrimpers’ calibre is certainly disappointing and will serve as a big blow heading into some crucial fixtures – ones in which Kane may now not be rested for.
The competition also hands the 52-year-old with another opportunity to end the club’s barren spell without silverware, with their last triumph coming in the League Cup some 14 years ago.
Son has been a standout performer for the Lilywhites this season, having provided nine goals and five assists across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.
The £72m-rated South Korean international also rates out as their best-performing player, registering an average WhoScored rating of 7.24, which is clear of the likes of Kane, Lucas Moura and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
How many managers have Spurs had this year?
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Not only does he lead the way for goals and assists but an average of 1.9 key passes (first in the squad) and 1.6 dribbles (second) per game reflects his importance to Conte and the team.
Back in October, former Newcastle United talisman Alan Shearer waxed lyrical about Son’s influence to Match of the Day 2.
“When he plays like that, there’s not many defenders that can live with him, he’s got everything you need. Pace, energy,” he said. “Drive to get in there, goals, assists. I’m such a huge fan of his, they couldn’t cope with him – he was the difference, you can’t stop him. Fantastic player.”
With important games ahead, Conte will surely be fuming with this devastating blow to Son, especially as it hands him a massive dilemma surrounding the selection of Kane today.
AND in other news, Paratici “opens talks” to sign £20m “monster” at Spurs, he’d be unstoppable under Conte…
https://www.footballfancast.com/tottenham-hotspur-news/thfc-latest-team-injury-news-heung-min-son-update-antonio-conte-blow-morecambe-fa-cup-chelsea-preview
