Antonio Conte press conference: Richarlison showboating; West Ham team news & Kane's future
Antonio Conte faced the media on Tuesday ahead of Tottenham's trip to West Ham in Premier League midweek action.
Spurs have started the season well, picking up ten points from their opening four games, most recently beating Nottingham Forest on Sunday. On Wednesday they visit a Hammers side who picked up their first points of the season with victory at Aston Villa.
Here are some of the key points from Conte's presser.
Spurs team news vs West Ham
Are Cristian Romero and Oliver Skipp available?
"About Romero and Skippy. Today [Monday] they did the training session with us. For sure we have to wait, to tell that [if] they are completely recovered, but this is a good sign for us, for the player."
What about Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil?
"He [Lucas] has this inflammation in his tendon. I hope he recovers very soon, because for sure when I was a player I had a lot of pain in my tendon. You know very well tendon inflammation doesn’t finish in only one week, two weeks. I hope to have him early with us. Gil is not still available but in two, three days he will start to work and recover."
How will you rotate your team amid the busy schedule before the World Cup?
"For sure if you have to play one game every six days, every seven days or one week a game. From now I try to start with the old players because they give me more reality. With the new players we start to work with them only one month and half. It was the reason. I think in the end my choice was good as we got four good results in the first four games.
"Now it's normal, when you have to play one game every three days it's normal to make some rotation. The player has to be intelligent to understand sometimes to go on the bench, to come in, to alternate. For sure in this moment, this is the moment, this is the period the club can understand if we are really, really complete in the squad or maybe we will do better.
"For sure compared to last season we are more complete as a squad. You know very well to reach other teams at top level I think we need time, patience and at least two transfer markets to reach the same level."
Tottenham transfer news
Will you make more signings before the deadline?
"I spoke with the club. I spoke with Paratici, with Daniel Levy, I said to them my opinion. But as you know very well, the most important thing is for the club to know my opinion. If we do something or not, it’s ok."
Has Harry Kane been offered a new contract?
"I have to be honest with you: I don’t know, I don’t know about this situation, I don’t know the details, honestly, honestly. You know we are talking about an important player for Tottenham.
"And the desire of everybody into the club is [for Kane] to continue to stay with Tottenham, to sign a new contract. But if you ask me about the details, about information, I cannot answer you.”
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Richarlison vs Nottingham Forest
Would Conte the player appreciate Richarlison's ball-juggling?
"I think about Richy, we are really happy. We are talking [about] a player who can help us a lot in this season. We are talking about a player who is a really good addition, especially up front. I think in the past, Tottenham didn’t have a player of this level behind Harry, behind Son. Now we have a really good player.
"He is in the best moment of his career, to stay in Tottenham to show his talent, he has a big [talent] for sure. He can help us a lot in this season. And now every time he is playing, also for 20-30-40 minutes, he is playing very well. For sure in the next games you will see him in the starting XI."
Will he start against West Ham?
"No, I didn't say this. I said probably in the future you can see in the starting XI Richarlison. Then if the game against West Ham, Fulham or Marseille. Then I have to decide."