Antonio Conte does not find it right to resume the championship just eight days before the end of the World Cup.
He underlined this at the press conference on the eve of Boxing Day in the Premier League, which will see his Tottenham team open the program with the lunch match at Brentford's home, one of the revelation teams of the season.
"I'm not very happy - said the Italian manager -, although I should be happy because as many as 12 of my players were in Qatar and this means that we are in the right direction to try and win something. But now it's not easy because the physical condition it's not top notch."
Conte has hinted that he will select only players who have not been involved in the World Cup for the match, having already announced that the two who were in the final, French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and Argentine Cristian Romero, will not play anyway.
"The players who have been here have been working for four weeks and are now in excellent physical condition and now I am sure they are better off than the veterans from Qatar".
Rodrigo Bentancur will not be on the field due to a disqualification, but the Uruguayan is also struggling with a slight muscle problem.
Richarlison, who was injured with Brazil in Qatar, will then be out for at least a month, while Lucas Moura's tendon problem persists: "It's a difficult situation because it's not as if I don't have it - explained Conte -. It's a shame because he's a good player, a good boy, but he's working hard to solve this problem. I don't know what will happen to him in the future."