ANTONIO'S FIRST LOVE A SIDE ISSUE FOR NOW AS TEAM FACE HUGE TEST

ANTONIO CONTE will be back on the touchline at the San Siro tonight, the scene of one of his greatest triumphs as a coach.

- Dan Kilpatrick

Conte led Inter Milan to an historic Scudetto in 2020-21, ending the club's agonising 11-year wait for a Serie A title, and the Italian will be hoping a return to the iconic ground can invigorate himself and Tottenham.

On the eve of tonight's Champions League last-16 first leg against AC Milan, Conte acknowledged that he is still short of fitness following emergency gallbladder surgery and he is again expected to be assisted by Cristian Stellini, his No2, in conducting his players from the sidelines.

Spurs, though, need inspiration from their head coach following a grim week, including the 4-1 defeat by Leicester, which soured the mood after the victory over Manchester City, and serious injuries to Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Hugo Lloris and Ryan Sessegnon.

A slightly drawn-looking Conte warmly greeted Italian journalists and posed for selfies after last night's press conference - his first since the operation - but the occasion was curiously lacking in atmosphere, with the 53-year-old appearing neither especially animated to be back in Milan nor down about his side's mounting problems.