Tottenham Hotspur fell 1-0 to Chelsea as they crashed out in the EFL Cup in the semi-finals. One player who didn’t make the squad for the second leg matchup was Tanguy Ndombele.
During his news conference with the media, Spurs manager Antonio Conte was asked why the 25-year-old didn’t feature in the squad for the matchup against The Blues; the Italian tactician’s response made it seem like a club decision to keep him out.
“It was a technical decision, but before to take the decision, I don’t take the decision if I don’t consult the club; there is the club line, and I have to follow the club line,” Conte said, whose words relayed by Express.
Over the weekend, the midfielder endured boos from some of the home supporters, and it seemed as though that might have played a role in keeping the France international out of the lineup.
Furthermore, there are rumors of Tottenham hoping to find a buyer for Ndombele, who wants out of the Premier League club. As a result, they might not want to risk the player getting hurt while working out a deal to offload him this month.
It will be interesting to see if Ndombele appears in the North London Derby this weekend.