Report: Conte expected to turn to experienced Tottenham duo v Bournemouth, despite fitness concerns

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Tottenham take on Bournemouth this weekend in a must-win Premier League clash for Antonio Conte and there has been some early team news.

Spurs have been below par recently and scraped a point against Sport Lisbon in midweek. Despite a late Harry Kane ‘winner’ being ruled out by VAR, Conte saw his side once again perform below the levels he will have expected.

It’s been a theme of recent weeks too. Spurs lost to Manchester United before succumbing at home to Newcastle as well. For some, it’s injuries. For others, it’s down to the tactics and team selection from Conte.

However, ahead of Spurs v Bournemouth, it seems Conte won’t be relenting when it comes to a few players. According to the Evening Standard, both Harry Kane and Eric Dier are set to start once again. That means their run of starting every game this season will continue.

Both Kane and Dier – who signed for just £4m back in 2014 – have been key for Conte ever since he arrived. Kane has hit double figures already this season, while Dier has been a mainstay in the back three.

However, it’s clear that Conte relies on and trusts the England pair. And in a must win game at Bournemouth, it doesn’t look like Conte is in the mood to give any rests out, despite obvious concerns over burnout and too many minutes.

TBR’s View: Tottenham team news as expected for Bournemouth

Can you imagine the noise if Conte suddenly dropped Harry Kane in the midst of a poor run of results? He’d never hear the end of it, especially if Spurs then lost the game.

This weekend is simply a case of getting a win. Spurs fans won’t even care about the style of play this weekend. A win is a win, and they need one.

For Conte, calling on players like Kane and the ‘amazing‘ Dier every game will be viewed by him as a positive. It shows their resilience and fitness for a start. The Italian, then, will hope the pair deliver against the Cherries.