Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has admitted that he has been forced to use mannequins in training in the build-up to facing Liverpool.
The Reds are back in Premier League action on Sunday as they travel to London to face Spurs.
Sunday’s game will be Tottenham’s first match since December 5, having had their last three matches postponed due to Covid-19 cases within the squad and first-team staff.
Liverpool themselves have had cases confirmed in recent days, with Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones missing the win over Newcastle due to positive test results.
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Conte has opened up on how he’s been forced to battle through training sessions with a lack of players in recent weeks, including resorting to using mannequins.
"In these two weeks, for three days we didn't have a training session and then we had a training session with only 10, 12 players, also because with the U23 players there was Covid," Conte told football.london .
"Now for two, three days I have a squad without two, three players. Now we are having full training session but for sure, it wasn't easy to face this situation and to train the players.
"To have 12 players is very difficult. To try something under a tactical aspect, usually if you want to try to play a formation you need 20 players and it's not simple to do this.
“You have to train with mannequins and I stopped. It's not easy. It's not the same thing."
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Conte went on to explain how dire the situation was at Spurs, but added that the situation has significantly improved in recent days.
"Today another player [returned to training], but at the start of the week, two players were back also," said Conte.
"Now we have only two players that are not able and they are positive but we hope in two, three days to solve totally the situation and have the whole squad available."
"Now the situation is good for us because we had 50 per cent of the squad with Covid, and the staff totally. Now we are going out of this situation.
"We have to pay great attention and to continue to have a good behaviour, to be safe and also to make safe our families and all the people who stay with us."
