Antonio Conte guaranteed to be without five Tottenham…

Antonio Conte guaranteed to be without five Tottenham players vs Leicester after injury setback

Antonio Conte's Tottenham squad is now set for the second half of the season following the closure of the January transfer window. Adding two new faces to the first-team squad as Arnaut Danjuma and Pedro Porro sealed moves from Villarreal and Sporting CP respectively, the Lilywhites also clinched a deal for youngster Jude Soonsup-Bell who will now link up with the academy.

The final week of the window also saw Matt Doherty depart on a permanent basis as both parties mutually agreed to terminate his contract which allowed him to join Atletico Madrid as a loan deal was not possible. Doherty wasn't the only player to head out of the door as Djed Spence, Bryan Gil and Harvey White all sealed loan deals in order to increase their pitch time after limited opportunities at Tottenham during the first part of the season.

Following the club's transfer business, Conte has a 25-man first-team squad to work with between now and the end of the campaign. The head coach has options right across the park to choose from as they look to achieve their goals, but it does also mean that five players will miss out on the matchday squad on a weekly basis.

That was very much the case last Sunday when the team produced a fine performance to seal a 1-0 win over Man City courtesy of Harry Kane's record-breaking goal. The unlucky quintet on that day with a fully-fit squad available to choose from were goalkeepers Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman, Japhet Tanganga, Pape Matar Sarr and Lucas Moura.

Maybe an easy decision for Cristian Stellini and Conte to leave Sarr and Lucas out of the matchday squad after only just recently returning from injury, the decisions will get that bit harder over the coming weeks if everyone is available and at peak fitness. However, that is a conundrum facing managers at the best clubs week in, week out as they have the strength in depth required to challenge on all fronts and that unfortunately results in some players watching on from the stands.

As much as Conte and Stellini would like to name the same side that beat Man City last weekend when they travel to Leicester City on Saturday, Spurs will have to make three changes to the matchday squad with Hugo Lloris, Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma absent. The goalkeeper now faces between six to eight weeks on the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury late on in the win over Man City, with Romero having to serve a one-match suspension after seeing red for two bookable offences last weekend.

Already set to be without the duo, Spurs were dealt a further injury blow on Thursday evening when it was confirmed that Yves Bissouma will undergo surgery on Friday to repair a stress fracture to his left ankle. As a timeframe for his return will only be determined after surgery, Conte and Spurs could be without the Mali international for an extended period at a time when some very important games are coming up.

In terms of Saturday's trip to Leicester, Fraser Forster taking on Lloris' gloves will likely see Austin rather than Whiteman come into the squad and provide cover for the ex-Southampton man. Fellow academy graduate Tanganga will also then be in line for a recall and be the second centre-back on the bench as Conte does like to ensure he has two options available to him in the main positions just in case injury strikes during the 90 minutes.

Bissouma's absence will open up the door for Sarr to return to the matchday squad for the first time since the 4-2 defeat at Man City, thus meaning Lucas may be missing from the 20-man party again unless Conte finds a way for the Brazilian to come into his plans. Injuries and suspension will make the head coach's squad selection for Leicester a tad easier this week, although he would undoubtedly like a tough choice to make every game as that means he has a full complement of 25 players to choose from.