Antonio Conte may miss Chelsea as Tottenham assistant feels guilty

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Tottenham assistant Cristian Stellini has admitted to feeling partly responsible for Antonio Conte’s setback in his recovery from surgery. Conte was taken ill at the start of the month with ‘severe abdominal pain’, which was later diagnosed as cholecystitis.

An operation was needed with Conte posting an update on social media after the surgery that he was hoping to return to the dugout as soon as possible. He was back at Tottenham just a week later and took to the dugout for the games against Leicester and AC Milan.

But, following a routine post-operation check-up in Italy this week, Conte has been told to stay in his home country to rest with Stellini once again taking first-team duties. And the Tottenham assistant admitted to feeling “sad” that he didn’t do more to help prevent Conte’s setback in his recovery.

“After the Milan game, I felt sad because maybe I didn’t push enough to take this decision (to rest) before,” he said. “I felt responsible because Antonio’s pain continued under stress.

“I don’t want to feel like this again. I push him to come back when he’s 100 per cent.” Conte will be absent from Tottenham’s game against West Ham on Sunday, but it remains to be seen whether he will be back for the crunch Premier League clash against Chelsea on February 26.

Stellini insists the London derby won’t play a factor in whether Conte returns to the dugout or not. “Antonio feels the same every moment, every day,” he added.

“It is not because it’s Chelsea next but he wants to come back Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday but he has taken an important decision with the club. When Antonio is 100 per cent, he will come back and not one day before. We made a mistake before and we don’t want to repeat this.

“We have to hope this time arrives as soon as possible. It could be before Chelsea or after Chelsea. We have to accept that and Antonio needs to accept that. People around Antonio like our doctor, the doctor that did the surgery, his wife and his family, have to force him (to rest).”

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