April 13, (THEWILL) – Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has tested positive for COVID-19 in latest results from the north London club.
However, the Italian is set to appear on the touchline for his team’s match against Brighton on Saturday. This is because he is said to have received the results over the weekend and begun isolating himself from his players and staff early enough.
Spurs therefore expect him to be symptom-free and ready to take command of the English Premier League’s lunchtime kick-off.
THEWILL recalls that Tottenham had a major COVID outbreak in December, prompting Conte to admit it was “difficult to think about football” as he dealt with the impact on performances and results.
That experience means the club would likely be anxious to limit the spread of the virus this time around.
This development occurs at a critical juncture. Conte has led his club to a string of impressive victories in recent weeks, including beating Manchester City away from home, as well as scoring five goals against Everton and Newcastle, and four goals against Aston Villa last weekend.
These results have propelled them into the top four of the Premier League, and if they keep up their current form, they will clinch the final Champions League qualification berth – something that seemed improbable before Conte’s arrival in North London in November.
Graham Potter’s Brighton, who will be at Spurs for Saturday’s early kick-off, helped Conte’s side stay fourth by defeating Arsenal last Saturday as they prevailed 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium. Their reward is a tough weekend contest in the other one of north London’s rivalry.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
