According to Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge, Yves Bissouma told Tottenham Hotspur staff he wasn’t fit to start the north London derby just 24 hours before kickoff.
Bissouma joined Spurs from Brighton this summer for £25million, but has only appeared in one game under Antonio Conte.
And according to Football London, Bissouma was in the plans to start against Arsenal but he returned from international duty with a ‘physical problem’.
According to Sky Sports News journalist Michael Bridge, Bissouma informed Conte’s staff of his muscle problems just a day before the game. He said:
“Now I understand Bissouma told Conte’s staff he was suffering a bit of muscle fatigue after international duty last Friday.”
“If that formation change did happen, one of [Heung-Min] Son or Richarlison would likely drop to the bench.”
Bissouma has had a difficult start to his Tottenham career, but he impressed from the bench against Leicester City where Conte switched to the 3-5-2 system during the emphatic 6-2 win.
The Mali international appeared much more at ease in a midfield three with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur. And many Spurs fans were expecting Conte to stick with the same formation against Arsenal but now it is revealed that the manager had his reasons to change it.