Antonio Conte has revealed that neither Dejan Kulusevski nor Rodrigo Bentancur will start against Brighton in the FA Cup on Saturday.
The pair joined Tottenham from Juventus on deadline day and have linked up with the first-team squad at Hotspur Way this week ahead of the return of the Premier League.
However, it appears the FA Cup will come too soon for Kulusevski and Bentancur in terms of their full debut, with Conte revealing both are available to take part but not from the start.
Conte also added that he believes the former Serie A pair can add a lot to the squad, handing praise to Kulusevski and hinting he could play at right-wing-back.
Tottenham signed the Sweden international on an 18-month loan deal from Juve, costing £2.5m this season, £5.8m next season, with an obligation to buy him for £29.2m if certain criteria are met (Sky Sports).
Meanwhile, Bentancur could cost Spurs £15.8m upfront and £5.7m in add-ons (Sky Sports).
Conte said (Football London): “The two players are fit and for this reason tomorrow they are available, for sure to start the game is not right because they need to work with the team for a period. They can come in to help us a lot.
“About Kulusevski, he is a good player, he is very young, he is a great talent and he can play like a number 10 with the strikers but at the same time he has the potential to play wing-back on the right, he has good quality.
“He likes to attack, he is good on a one vs one, to create chances for team-mates. A good signing for us.”
Spurs Web Opinion:
I am most interested by Conte’s comment on Kulusevski playing right-wing-back. This certainly lines up with the kind of player Spurs needed in the January market. I am intrigued to see if he features there within the next few weeks.
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