Tottenham have confirmed that Antonio Conte will undergo surgery on Wednesday to remove his gallbladder following a diagnosis of cholecystitis. The head coach will then return to his duties at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after a period of recuperation.
A statement on the club's official website read: "Antonio Conte recently became unwell with severe abdominal pain. Following a diagnosis of cholecystitis, he will be undergoing surgery to remove his gallbladder today (Wednesday) and will return following a period of recuperation. Everyone at the Club wishes him well."
Although Tottenham have not put an exact timeframe on when he will return, Conte will be forced to take a break from his managerial commitments until he has fully recovered from surgery. According to NHS guidance, it takes a minimum of two weeks to return to normal activities after gallbladder removal surgery.
READ MORE: Tottenham boss Antonio Conte to undergo surgery after 'becoming unwell'
Tottenham do face a busy few weeks with Premier League and Champions League football on the agenda. Hosting Man City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, the Lilywhites then have back-to-back away games against Leicester City and AC Milan before finishing February with home fixtures against London rivals West Ham and Chelsea.
Taking on Pep Guardiola's Man City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, the club have yet to announce who will take charge of the first team in Conte's absence. However, it is likely that assistant head coach Cristian Stellini will step up once again and take the reins while his fellow countryman recovers from surgery.
Stellini was the man in the dugout for Tottenham's last-minute Champions League win against Marseille in November as Conte was suspended for the encounter in the south of France. The Spurs boss was made to watch from the stands and was unable to communicate with his team as he was banned from the dressing room and touchline following his sending off in their previous European tie against Sporting CP.
Stellini has undertaken media duties for a number of games this season, including last weekend against Preston North End in the FA Cup when he conducted both the pre and post-match press conferences. The assistant head coach will have Ryan Mason alongside him in the dugout as usual on Sunday when Spurs face Man City.
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