Conte will not accept Spurs players pulling out of tackles due to World Cup
Antonio Conte has said that he will not accept any of his players pulling out of tackles just to avoid the risk of getting injured ahead of the World Cup.
With the start of the World Cup now just a little over a month away, we are at the stage where any serious injury will likely cost players their dreams of representing their nations in the competition.
That was very nearly the case with Richarlison, who picked up a calf injury against Everton and was reportedly in tears after the game as he was worried about not recovering in time for the showpiece event in Qatar (ESPN Brazil).
Thankfully for the Brazilian, Conte confirmed in his press conference on Monday that the injury was not serious enough to see the forward miss the World Cup, and added that he expects the 25-year-old to play for Spurs before the tournament gets underway.
The Tottenham head coach has now admitted that he was extremely worried for Richarlison after the game on Saturday.
He told Football.London: “For sure, after the game the player [Richarlison] was really worried. There is only one month and the World Cup is coming.
“For this reason, I think every single player in this period, if he has an injury, could be really worried. To play the World Cup is the dream of every single player.
“For this reason, I’m happy, especially for the player. For me, for the club it’s okay but I know and understand the importance of this competition for the players and to know that he can go to play makes me happy because after the game I went home really sad to see him really worried.”
However, the Spurs boss remarked that the risk of injury is something that his players just need to accept, and made it clear that it should not affect their commitment over the next few weeks.
When asked about potential injuries, Conte responded: “You can’t know what will happen.
“We have to live with this situation, every club has to live with this situation, but I’m sure about this: if a player plays with worries about getting an injury, for sure it will happen.
“Players have to play in a normal way and they have to know that they have to give 100 per cent in every game.
“Also because I wouldn’t accept if I see one player to avoid a tackle or think about the World Cup. For sure, it’s not my problem because I have a group of players who, first of all, are really top men and then also top players.
“Now we have to go to play against United and this is the most important thing for us.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Footballers are experienced enough to know that muscle injuries can happen at any time, including due to something innocuous during training.
Most injuries in the sport these days are fatigue-related rather than due to being on the end of leg-breaking challenges, given the way the game is now officiated.
So, there is no compelling reason for the players to not give their 100 per cent in every game and shy away from tackles.
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