Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has moved to keep Arsenal in the dark over his side's potential line-up be refusing to divulge any injury news.
Spurs take on their bitter rivals in the Saturday lunchtime game, with a win taking them to the top of the Premier League table. Conte's men remain unbeaten after the opening seven games of the campaign, with their last outing bringing a dominant 6-2 win over Leicester City.
That victory preceded the international break, where it is expected some players will have picked up injuries. Conte, though, is refusing to reveal which of his players will not be fit enough in the hope that he can avoid handing the Gunners a key "advantage".
"We have to wait until tomorrow to check some players because they return from the national team with some physical problems. Tomorrow will be very important, the last training session, to understand the players we can count," he said.
"At the moment we have to wait. Honestly I don't want to speak about the injury because I don't want to give advantage to Arsenal, yeah? But for sure we have to face some problems, some physical problems.
"We have to know also that we have just started to play the first game in a run that we have to play 13 days in 43 days. For sure we have to try to make the best solution and to try not to take big risks.
HAVE YOUR SAY! What should be Tottenham's starting line-up for Saturday's North London derby? Comment below.
"If we take big risks and lose players for the rest of the games, it will be a disaster. I repeat to play every three days I need to count on the whole squad and we try with the players to also make the best decision."
Arsenal may have a potential advantage over their rivals given key players Gabriel, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli were not called up by Brazil for their games over the past week. That should mean that the Gunners are fresher than Spurs in attack, and Conte admitted that could be an issue.
"It is difficult to tell something about this. For sure I have seen many clubs are having big problems with players that play these two games and for sure Tottenham is one of these clubs," he added.
"Then you know very well there is only one month and a half to the start the World Cup and you have to understand also the national team and the players, this was their last games to show they deserve to play at the World Cup.
"Also for the coach the last period to call the players and to understand before they call the 23 players for the World Cup but for sure to play so many games before the international break and then now to play 13 games in 43 days is crazy.
"It is crazy and for sure we have to face with injuries. I always say in this period you understand which squad is really competitive, because when you go to play every three days, you face players that have injuries, that are tired."
