Huge blow: Dan Kilpatrick drops 12-word Spurs update, Antonio Conte will be fuming - opinion

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt yet another injury setback concerning Oliver Skipp.

That’s according to Dan Kilpatrick, with the journalist revealing in a recent report for the Evening Standard that, despite Antonio Conte claiming last week that the midfielder was “very close” to making a return from a pelvic injury that has kept him out of action since January, the 21-year-old is now set to return to the treatment room after suffering a setback in his recovery.

Kilpatrick went on to state that, despite training individually on the grass on Monday and Tuesday, the England U21 international’s return date now appears increasingly unclear after he reported fresh soreness in his pelvis – something which all but confirms Skipp’s unavailability for Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa.

In his piece, the journalist said: “Skipp is now certain to sit out Saturday’s visit to Aston Villa.”

Considering the number of setbacks Skipp had already suffered in his recovery from injury – with Conte initially suggesting that the academy product would be ruled out for two weeks at most, before claiming that he hoped Tottenham’s medical team would have the youngster back in seven to ten days – the fact that the midfielder is once again unavailable this weekend is sure to have left the 52-year-old fuming.

It is not difficult to understand why the Italian is so desperate to get the £18m-rated dynamo back up to full fitness, as it is clear that the 21-year-old is a major part of his first-team plans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – with Skipp featuring in all but one of the 14 fixtures he has been available for selection following Conte’s arrival in north London last November.

However, with an extended period of rest being the only real solution