Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has admitted he has been left surprised by how quick Ivan Perisic has been recovering from the injury which he had picked up at Inter Milan.

Perisic joined Tottenham after leaving Inter on a free transfer this summer (BBC). However, he arrived at N17 with a calf injury that he suffered when playing for the Nerazzurri on the final day of the previous season and has been building up his fitness during pre-season for his new club.

Tottenham kick off their Premier League campaign against Southampton tomorrow afternoon in north London and the Croatian is still considered as a doubt to face the Saints (Evening Standard).

Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Conte told The Athletic: “It’s normal after a serious injury to be struggling a bit to come back in the best physical condition. Honestly, I’m surprised because he reduced his time to recover. We are really happy.

“At the same time we are not worried but we have to pay a bit of attention to give him the right time to adapt himself to recover 100 per cent after his injury. But I know him very well and he is a very good addition for us. It will be really important for his experience for the younger players.”
“Sessegnon is a player who plays in the same role. Ivan can teach him a lot of situations to improve Sess. But even for sure he is a really good addition for us for many aspects. Then we will see. We have another training session tomorrow. Play him or Sess.”

Our View

Perisic has always had a great injury record throughout his playing career, so his ability to get back to full fitness at a faster rate is not surprising at all. In fact, he missed just three matches for the Serie A outfit last season (Transfermarkt), which is an impressive stat indeed.

The Tottenham ace could prove to be a sound acquisition once he completes recovery to return to his best self. After all, he could make an impact as a left wing-back and even a left-winger if needed following Steven Bergwijn’s exit to Ajax and with Sergio Reguilon being put on the transfer shortlist (Daily Mail).

However, it would be best if we do not risk Perisic if he fails to get back into contention in time. Ryan Sessegnon is a great option to be used as a wing-back, and the Croatian can put in a shift from the bench looking at how he has played a part in the pre-season.

We also have Richarlison in our team who can deputise on the left-wing should Son Heung-Min need to be substituted in tomorrow’s fixture. Hence, we are covered quite well to an extent, so there is no need to risk Perisic, as keeping him fit should always be the priority.