With Antonio Conte being without some of his key players for the clash against AC Milan, several of Tottenham’s academy youngsters, including Alfie Devine, were seen training with the first team on Monday before the squad flew out to Milan.

Conte is particularly short of options in the middle of the park, with Rodrigo Bentancur out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury and with Yves Bissouma expected to be out for six weeks with an ankle injury.

Alfie Devine

(Photo by Trevor Ruszkowski/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

In addition, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is suspended for the first leg at the San Siro, leaving Pape Matar Sarr and Oliver Skipp as Spurs’ only natural central midfield options.

That is perhaps why Devine was seen training with the Tottenham squad at Hotspur Way on Monday in the open training session.

In addition to Devine, 19-year-old midfielder Michael Craig, winger Romaine Mundle and defender Maksim Paskotsi were also spotted training with the first team.

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Alfie Devine is almost certain to be on the bench and I suspect Conte wishes he had not loaned out Harvey White in January, in light of the injuries to Bissouma and Bentancur.

With Conte ruling out the possibility of Dier staring in midfield, we need Sarr and Skipp to rise to the occasion and deliver a mature display this evening.

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