Antonio Conte expected return date revealed

Tottenham assistant coach Cristian Stellini has revealed that manager Antonio Conte is unlikely to be back on the touchline for the Premier League clash with Chelsea at the weekend.

Conte has surgery to remove his gallbladder earlier this month after becoming unwell with cholecystitis at the end of January. He returned to England to resume work relatively quickly and then took control of Spurs as they faced both Leicester and AC Milan.

But it proved to be more than the Italian could handle and he later admitted he had underestimated his recovery and tried to do too much too soon.

• Antonio Conte offers health update after stepping back from duties

Now, Stellini has confirmed it is likely to be March before Spurs fans see Conte back.

“I am not expecting Antonio is back for Chelsea but I expect Antonio will be back the week after Chelsea,” Stellini said on the matter.

“For Milan or Wolverhampton,” he added, seemingly also ruling Conte out of taking charge of the FA Cup tie against Sheffield United between the Chelsea and Wolves games.

“If Antonio feels well without some pain or feel something strange, Antonio will be back.”

Tottenham's next five fixtures - all competitions