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Mali’s head coach has shed light on what the Tottenham Hotspur medical team have said about Yves Bissouma’s injury.
Bissouma is one of two Tottenham players currently at the African Cup of Nations, with Pape Sarr also linking up with the Mali squad for the competition.
The former Brighton man has been selected despite being injured and not having kicked a ball for the Lilywhites so far this term.
The 29-year-old played no part in Mali’s tournament opener as the West African nation played out a 1-1 draw with Zambia.
Tottenham medical staff expect Yves Bissouma to be fit soon
Last week, Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet revealed that Tottenham are working closely with the Mali staff on Bissouma’s fitness, and that the North London club helped the player with his recovery leading up to the AFCON.
Saintfiet has now provided more information on his captain, revealing that the Spurs staff are confident that he will play a part in the ongoing tournament in Morocco.
The Mali boss said about Bissouma’s inclusion in the squad (via Pierrot Le Foot): “In many major tournaments, some players start with injuries and then become their team’s most dangerous players in the quarterfinals, semifinals, or final. Hakimi is also on Morocco’s roster, and there’s a reason for that, because he’s one of those great players who are important.
“Yves is my captain; he’s important, he’s a leader of our team. But we didn’t make this decision alone. Our doctor is in contact with Tottenham’s medical staff.
“We have assurances that Yves will be ready during the tournament. When the matches get tougher, we’ll be glad to have him with us. We need a captain who’s present both mentally and physically.”
Does Bissouma have a future at Spurs?
Reports indicate that Tottenham have made up their mind to cash in on Bissouma in January, but the Lilywhites may not find it easy to do so.
Both West Ham and Everton have cooled their interest in the Spurs midfielder, which may be down to his injury issues and his participation in the AFCON.
Spurs are expected to activate the one-year extension in Bissouma’s contract should they fail to offload him next month.
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