Tottenham manager Antonio Conte back in dugout for Champions League clash with AC Milan

Italian boss returns for last-16 second leg as he continues recovery from gallbladder surgery

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte during training on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, in preparation for their Champions League last-16 second-leg game against AC Milan on Wednesday. Reuters

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte will be back in the dugout for their Champions League last-16 second-leg clash with AC Milan on Wednesday.

The Italian is back in London after spending two and a half weeks with his family in Turin as he recuperated from an operation last month to remove his gallbladder.

Spurs are trailing 1-0 after the first leg in Milan and, after the defeat at the San Siro last month, Conte was ordered to rest by his doctors. In his absence, Spurs have been knocked out of the FA Cup by Sheffield United and lost to Wolves in the Premier League.

But the 53-year-old dismissed talk of pressure and said he was looking forward to the crunch match against the Italian giants.

“The pressure? We live for this type of game," said Conte on Tuesday. "We live for this type of moment because when the pressure is going up, it means your level is going up.

“Don’t forget, last season we played Conference League and instead this season we are playing Champions League. We won our group, the first leg we lost 1-0 and we have the possibility tomorrow to beat Milan and then to go to the next round.

“I think for sure don’t forget the past and to understand we need to have step by step to improve the situation. Then if you ask me do I want to win the Champions League? I tell you yes but then there is reality.

“We have to be ready to go game by game. Tomorrow the obstacle is Milan and we have to beat them with two goals if we want to go to the next round. The pressure is normal and we have to live with this type of pressure.

Wolves 1 Tottenham Hotspur 0 - in pictures

“Maybe if there is one thing that we have to try to improve, the whole environment here, is to live with the pressure. To live with the pressure means to sometimes be a bit stressed and not always to be in peace with yourself, but to stress yourself and to put pressure in a positive way.

“In this aspect we can improve a lot and the whole environment can improve a lot.”

Conte had planned to return after his side's FA Cup exit at the hands of Sheffield United last Wednesday but was advised against it by his doctors and by those at the club.

The defeat at Wolves means that Spurs are in fourth in the Premier League but sit in the last Champions League spot with only a three-point gap over Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

The last time Tottenham won a trophy was in 2008 when they lifted the League Cup.

And Conte spoke of the importance of his players “fighting to be competitive” after their recent setbacks.

“We need to learn from these negative situations," he said. “If you don’t learn anything about these type of defeats, it means you’re ready to have another defeat next year. I hope after this type of negative game, the players learn a lot.

“We’re really disappointed for what happened, especially for our fans because we know very well our fans’ expectation and they wanted to see the team lift the trophy. For this season, we’re really disappointed.”

On Wednesday's game against Milan, Conte said: “Now I am back, I’m really happy. We have an important game. It’s a vital game for us because we want to go to the next round. We will try to do it and, for this reason, I hope to feel an amazing atmosphere in our stadium.

“Many times our fans gave us the right boost to overcome a difficult situation.”

Milan's poor form on the road should give Conte's team some encouragement.

The Italian champions, who lost 2-1 at Fiorentina at the weekend, have won only one of their last five matches away from the San Siro – losing three of them.

Veteran striker Olivier Giroud is a doubt for Stefano Pioli's team after he missed training on Monday with flu. Forward Brahim Diaz, who scored against Spurs in the first leg, is also doubtful.