Spurs have not played since their last Premier League game on 5th December, with their league fixture last weekend postponed due to several Covid cases in their squad and staff.

 

Tottenham also could not fulfil their European fixture against Rennes and UEFA are likely to declare the French club the winner of the game as the two teams could not agree on a date when the game could have been played.

 

 

It is likely to cost Spurs a place in the second round of the Conference League and Conte insisted that the north London club were more than willing to play that game and get a chance to progress in Europe.

 

But the UK government’s decision to shut down their training ground last week to prevent the spread of Covid hamstrung them and Tottenham could not fulfil their commitment.

 

 

Conte said in a press conference: “We want to play the game.

 

“Tottenham deserves to play the game and the last game of this group. I think it’s a really strange situation.

 

 

“When the government decides to close our training ground and we cannot train and it’s for this reason we cannot play, not another reason.

 

“We don’t have fault. We deserve to play this game and try to go to the next round.”

 

The Premier League has rejected Tottenham’s request to postpone their league game against Leicester on Thursday night.