Tottenham’s Cristian Stellini details ‘sad’ Yves Bissouma situation after ankle surgery

Cristian Stellini has admitted he doesn’t know when midfielder Yves Bissouma will be back in action after undergoing surgery on his ankle.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder has had a challenging start to life in north London, and his latest injury coincides with that of fellow midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur who has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Tottenham signed Mali international Bissouma for £25 million in the summer after he’d established himself as one of the best central midfielder in the Premier League- but his adaptation period has taken longer than expected.

He was the key man in the middle and controlled games while also stopping teams with the use of space and awareness, helping Brigthon to a ninth place finish in the league, their best ever finish in the Premier League era.

With Bentancur injured, this would have been the best time for Bissouma to establish himself in the team, instead he just underwent surgery with everyone hoping he’ll be back at some point this season.

Asked what the reaction has been since his injury, Cristian Stellini- deputising for Antonio Conte who is also recovering from his gallbladder operations in Italy says the timing of Bissouma’s injury was quite unfortunate.

He told reporters ahead of the game against West Ham: “We have to wait with Bissouma because it’s a stress fracture that came from overload so he needs time.

“We are so sad for Bissouma because now without Rodrigo, he could be an important player but in football this happens.

“We were happy about Bissouma;s effort and what he did on the pitch. We knew very well from the start of the season that a player like Bissouma would need time to understand our idea and what we want on the pitch, to understand being at a different club, a different level and in the Champions League.

“It’s not the same. He needed time, he took his time and we were happy with Biss and now we are sad because we have no Biss with us but we have to accept this.”

In Bissouma’s absence, both Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr have stepped in and were brilliant against AC Milan in the Champions League. They will hope to take advantage of the sudden opportunity to establish themselves and help the club achieve its seasonal goals.