Tottenham boss Antonio Conte revealed that he underestimated the recovery time needed after his gallbladder surgery. Conte was initially ruled out for a week following gallbladder surgery, but his return to Hotspur Way was cut short seven days later when doctors requested he stays in Italy and heals fully. In his absence, Spurs’ last four games have produced mixed results, with two Premier League wins and an FA Cup exit at the hands of Championship side Sheffield United. Conte returned to training on Monday in preparation for Wednesday’s crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against AC Milan. Conte admitted that he underestimated how long his body would take to recover from surgery, but that he was already relishing the pressure of facing the Italian champions.
“I definitely underestimated the healing time after surgery. I believe I wanted to return early out of a sense of obligation. Perhaps I overestimated my body and myself,” Tottenham boss Antonio Conte said. “Now that I’m feeling better and have more energy, I need to lose some weight, but for the most part, I’m fine. I’ll try to channel my energies toward my players. It’s critical for me to collaborate with my players and the coaching staff as we prepare for the games. I used video to keep close to my players from a distance. Being present is a whole different experience, and for that, I must thank my entire team. They performed an excellent job, and it was difficult for the players to stay for three weeks without the manager, but I’m glad to be back.”
Conte, as expected, was unfazed by his forced medical leave and insisted that his thoughts on his future at Tottenham or in football had not changed. The 53-year-contract old’s at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium expires in the summer, and his and Spurs’ future plans are unknown. Heung-Min Son joined Conte in his pre-match press conference, praising the impact the Italian’s presence has had on him and his teammates, who were defeated 1-0 at Wolves on Saturday and now have their top-four prospects out of their own hands.
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