Antonio Conte says that surgery to remove his gallbladder has "gone well" and thanked fans for their messages of support.
The Tottenham Hotspur manager was forced to go under the knife after experiencing "severe" abdominal pain, according to statement from the club on Wednesday morning. Conte, 53, is now expected to be out of action for a number of weeks but is already looking forward to being back on the touchline in what a doctor has estimated to be between two and four weeks' time.
In a message posted on his Instagram page after Spurs confirmed the Italian's diagnosis of cholecystitis, inflammation on the gallbladder caused by a build-up of digestive fluid, he wrote: "Thank you for your lovely messages. My surgery has gone well and I'm already feeling better. Now's time to recover. I can't wait to get back on the field with the team."
While wishing that Conte recovers in the best possible manner, Tottenham supporters will be keen to find out how long they'll be without their boss. In their statement, Spurs gave no indication when Conte's return will be, only stating that the ex- Chelsea, Juventus and Italy manager "will return following a period of recuperation."
Speaking to the Express, former lead Everton physician Dr Andre Brittain-Dissont has given an insight into how Conte's recovery process will work and the potential length of his absence. "There are two ways of doing this operation, one is with keyhole surgery," Dr Brittain-Dissont, a medical practitioner for 30 years, explained.
"Keyhole surgery is more painful in the postoperative period. But because you're only making small, tiny incisions using clever tools and cameras to do it, you recover quicker and you can be back to work - that is sitting at a desk - in about two weeks. You're not cutting into the tummy in the same way.
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"If it's an open operation - that is if they cannot do it with a keyhole and they need to do an open, old-fashioned operation - that's less painful but it is a slower recovery. They have to go through the muscles there, so that might take you three to four weeks to recover."
Should the 53-year-old miss a fortnight's worth of work, Tottenham will be without their manager for Premier League clashes with Manchester City and Leicester, as well as the first leg of their Champions League last-16 matchup with AC Milan. Following that, Spurs host London rivals West Ham and Chelsea prior to an FA Cup fourth-round tie away to either Sheffield United or Wrexham.
Conte's side currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, three points behind Manchester United having played one game more. Sunday's match against champions Man City will be another test of their top-four credentials, particularly after losing the reverse fixture 4-2 only two weeks ago.
