Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has been impressed with the performances of his young midfielders, Pape Sarr and Oliver Skipp, despite the team’s 1-0 defeat to AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League tie. With Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma injured and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg suspended, Conte called on the youngsters to marshal his midfield at the San Siro on Tuesday night.
Conte expressed satisfaction with their performance and believes they can be reliable players for the remainder of the season. Bentancur is set to miss the remainder of the season following a knee injury he suffered in the 4-1 defeat to Leicester City on Saturday, while Bissouma has just undergone ankle surgery and his return date is yet to be determined.
“I am really satisfied for both players because they played a really good game and they showed the trust that we have in them and they repaid it,” said Conte. “Don’t forget now we have just three midfielders and we have to continue with them maybe until the end of the season. The performance from Sarr and Skipp makes me more relaxed because I know I can count on them 100 per cent and we have Pierre Emile Højbjerg who is a key player.”
Conte believes Tottenham can still overcome AC Milan in the second leg at home in North London. “For qualification you have to play two games,” he said. “It is the first game away and the atmosphere was fantastic. I know the San Siro and I know the difficulty to play with this atmosphere. In the second game we have to play at our stadium and our fans will create the atmosphere to help us overcome the Milan obstacle.”
With Sarr and Skipp having already made an impression on their manager, they could have an important role to play as Tottenham look to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2012.
