Stellini admitted he was left “sad” after hearing of Conte’s illness but vowed to proceed the Tottenham boss’ work into the following match, having taken training in his absence.
“We’re upset,” he told reporters. “It was Antonio who called me and explained the situation.
“Last week he had an issue that we thought was flu, not an issue like this. When he discovered this, it was a surprise and he was so sad, but we’ve got to maintain going and work.
“We had time to talk to Antonio before the surgery concerning the technique to prepare for the [City] game. Then we lost him for 12 hours, the time for him to have the surgery. The surgery was not difficult and it’s vital he recovers well – that is an important thing.”
