An explanation for the absence of key defender Eric Dier from the Tottenham Hotspur squad set to take on Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday has been provided.

Antonio Conte’s troops are of course primed to return to action in short order.

After seeing the likes of capital rivals Chelsea and Crystal Palace march on, Spurs will welcome Graham Potter’s Brighton to north London, hopeful of booking their own spot in the 5th-round of the FA Cup.

The clash marks the Lilywhites’ first in a full two weeks, on the back of a long overdue break in the English football calendar.

Why Eric Dier is absent from Tottenham’s squad to face Brighton

Tottenham Hotspur’s Italian head coach Antonio Conte reacts at the final whistle during the English Premier League football match between Watford and Tottenham Hotspur at Vicarage Road Stadium in Watford, southeast England, on January 1, 2022 (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Dier latest

As alluded to above, though, Tottenham’s efforts to keep their sole remaining silverware hunt for the 2021/22 campaign alive and kicking on Saturday night will come without the contributions of a key member of the club’s backline.

As is customary, a short time ago, the respective starting line-ups set to be fielded by both the Lilywhites and Brighton this evening were unveiled.

Antonio Conte has opted for a strong XI, doing little to hide his FA Cup desires courtesy of a side featuring the talents of Hugo Lloris, Heung-min Son and Harry Kane:

One altogether glaring omission from not only Spurs’ starting line-up, but matchday squad as a whole, though, comes in the form of the aforementioned Eric Dier.

In turn, an explanation for the absence of the English international on Saturday night has since been provided, with the reliable Alasdair Gold of football.london having confirmed that Dier has been left at home ‘as a precautionary measure’, owing to a thigh issue:

 

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