Antonio Conte could miss Tottenham’s clash with Manchester City on Sunday after surgery to remove his gallbladder.

Conte will have the operation on Wednesday in Italy where he was spending time with his family after taking two days off in line with his players following Saturday’s win in the FA Cup fourth round at Preston.

He had been suffering from abdominal pain at the end of last week. The pain worsened around the Preston game and then became severe while he was in Turin, where his wife and daughter have continued to live since his move to Spurs.

Upon seeking further medical attention, the 53-year-old was diagnosed with cholecystitis, an inflammation of the gallbladder usually caused by gallstones, and advised to undergo immediate surgery.

Assistant manager Cristian Stellini stepped in as the Spurs players returned to training on Tuesday and the transfer deals on deadline day involved chairman Daniel Levy and the recruitment team led by managing director Fabio Paratici, and were not affected by his absence.