When will Antonio Conte be back on the bench for Tottenham following gallbladder surgery?

• Italian recovering from surgery
• Forced to miss recent Premier League games
• Eager to get back to work

WHAT HAPPENED? The Italian tactician is still recovering from gallbladder surgery, with a serious operation requiring him to step away from the stresses of life on the touchline. Conte was absent again when Spurs secured derby bragging rights over his former employers from Stamford Bridge, but assistant coach Cristian Stellini expects the demanding character to be filling the technical area once more in the not too distant future.

WHAT THEY SAID: Quizzed on when Conte – who was also missing for a 1-0 victory over Manchester City and a 2-0 triumph over West Ham - could return to duty in north London, Stellini told BBC Sport: “Our desire was to win, play a great game and to fight for every ball and we are happy for the fans, the club and of course for us and Antonio who is still at home. My expectation is that Antonio will be back this week.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Spurs squad are also looking forward to welcoming their charismatic coach back to England, with Harry Kane telling Sky Sports after finding the target in a morale-boosting victory over Chelsea: “We want our manager to be there but we know he's doing the most important thing for him and his family. I’m sure he's jumping up and down around the living room. It's nice to keep winning while he's away.”

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? Tottenham have two games to take in this week – an FA Cup fifth round clash with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Wednesday and a Premier League trip to Wolves on Saturday.