Team news ahead of Liverpool - updates on five players, including latest on Deki

Antonio Conte has confirmed that Richarlison, Cristian Romero and Heung-Min Son will miss Sunday’s clash against Liverpool, and he will make late decisions on the fitness of Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Moura.

Richarlison has been out since picking up a calf problem against Everton on 15 October, Cuti missed the Newcastle game on 23 October with fatigue, returned against Sporting Lisbon three days later but has missed our last two games. Sonny was due to undergo surgery today (Friday) to stabilise a fracture around his left eye, sustained in our midweek win at Marseille.

Lucas has been suffering with a tendon issue, but has featured in our last seven matches. Deki, meanwhile, has been out since picking up a muscle problem on international duty at the end of September.

Speaking to SPURSPLAY after training on Friday, Antonio told us: “Deki had half of the training session with us today. Tomorrow we’ll see. For sure, I want to speak with the player to ask if his feeling is positive. I don’t want to force him, that’s not right, but it would be very important if he gives me the availability to come on the bench, and then the possibility to play for 10, 20, 30 minutes. If you are on the bench, you are ready to help us in the game.

“Lucas is up and down with his tendon. He still has pain. Today, he told me this, and I asked him to wait and try to suffer in these last three games, and then we will try to find the best solution. For sure, we are talking about a player that is not 100 per cent. If you add all these difficulties, then you understand how we are fighting with big effort to overcome this period.”

Asked for a team news update in his pre-Liverpool press conference, Antonio said: “I can confirm Richarlison is not available for the game. It is the same for Romero, but Bentancur is much better, and today he was part of the training session. It was the same for Kulusevski, today he had a half training session with us.

“The problem is Lucas Moura is having some different phases for his pain in his tendon. Today, he was really bad, and he said to me he was really worried for this, but I ask of him to try to be available because we need him. Also, Sonny you know, is now having surgery. At the end, we have to be happy for qualification for the Champions League and now we have to try to finish these last three games in the best possible way.”