Huge blow: Spurs dealt yet another major injury setback, Antonio Conte will be fuming - opinion

Antonio Conte has been dealt a huge injury blow concerning Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Oliver Skipp.

In a recent statement posted on the Tottenham Hotspur website, the club confirmed that the 21-year-old – who has not featured for Spurs since the 2-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea in January – has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

The club continued to state that the England U21 international underwent surgery in America on Tuesday morning in order to repair his pubis injury, and is now expected to return to first-team training in pre-season.

The statement read: “We can confirm that Oliver Skipp has undergone surgery in America this morning (Tuesday 26 April) to repair a pubis injury and will be out for the remainder of the season.

“The academy graduate, 21, will now undergo a period of recovery and is expected to return to training for the pre-season period.”

With Conte stating back in January that Skipp would only be sidelined for a fortnight as a result of his injury – before the 52-year-old went on to put pressure on the Tottenham medical team to have the midfielder ready to return to action in seven to ten days – the news that the 21-year-old will now be unavailable for selection until 2022/23 is sure to have left the Italian fuming.

Indeed, it is evident just how highly Conte rates the Spurs academy graduate, with the former Inter Milan manager stating of the youngster earlier this season:

“This player is very young. He has really a lot of space for improvement. He played with great intensity, great passion, with heart, with soul. I think it was important because, for me, he doesn’t care if he’s only 21 years old, who deserves to play.

“I think that the present and the future depends on him. If