Antonio Conte, Tottenham Hotspur’s head coach is scheduled to undergo surgery after suffering abdominal discomfort.
Following the abdominal pain, Conte was diagnosed with Cholecystitis which will force him to remove his gallbladder immediately.
The Italian and former Inter Milan manager is expected to miss several games following the surgery.
“Antonio Conte recently felt ill with acute abdominal pain,” the team said in a statement. “He has been diagnosed with cholecystitis and will have his gallbladder removed today, he will be back after he has fully recovered. The entire Club is sending their good wishes his way.”
After Nuno Espirito Santo left in November 2021, Antonio Conte took over as manager of Tottenham. In just his first year at the helm, he took them to the next level by guiding them into the Champions League.
During the summer, Conte added seven new players to his roster, including Ivan Persisic, who reconnected with his former boss from their time together at Inter Milan by joining the club in north London.
Backups Fraser Forster and Djed Spence were signed, and first-team players Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, and Clement Lenglet were brought in. Similarly, Destiny Udogie was brought in over the summer but was quickly loaned back to Udinese.
Five games into the Premier League season, Conte’s team are in fifth place with 36 points, 14 back of league leaders and north London rivals Arsenal.
Recently, the 53 year old Italian manager guided Tottenham to victory against Preston on Saturday, 28th January 2023, to reach the FA Cup Fifth round.
In Conte’s absence, assistant coach Cristian Stellini will be in charge of the first squad for the upcoming fixtures.
Stellini has often handled press responsibilities for domestic cup games, and he was the man in the Spurs dugout for their key group stage win over Marseille in the Champions League.
The home match against Sporting CP ended in controversy when a late goal by Harry Kane was rejected by VAR due to offside, sending Conte to the stands.
There has been no word on when Conte will be able to return to action, but he will certainly miss Sunday’s Premier League home match against Manchester City.
Six days later, on February 20, Spurs will travel to Leicester City before turning their attention to the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League campaign against Milan on February 14.
What’s next for Antonio Conte?
How long it will take for Conte to make a full recovery after surgery is yet unknown. But he will certainly be back before the end of the current season.
