Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager Cristian Stellini has revealed that Antonio Conte has been left "very upset" following the death of former Juventus teammate Gianluca Vialli.
The ex-Chelsea and Italy forward had been suffering from a second bout of pancreatic cancer and died at the age of 58 on Friday morning.
Vialli and Juventus shared a Juventus dressing room during their playing days between 1992 and 1996, winning the Champions League and one Serie A title in that period.
Vialli and Conte did not play for Italy together, but the latter took over as Juve captain following his compatriot's move to Chelsea, where he transitioned into management.
Vialli also took charge of Watford and served as team coordinator for Italy during their run to the Euro 2020 crown, ultimately stepping down in December to focus on his treatment.
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Following news of the former striker's death, Conte pulled out of his scheduled press conference ahead of Tottenham's FA Cup third-round meeting with Portsmouth on Saturday lunchtime.
Stellini addressed the media instead and paid tribute to "a great leader" in Vialli, telling reporters: "Antonio in this moment is very upset. We are close to Vialli's family and all of those who loved Vialli.
"He's an important person. He was a great player but first of all a great man. He taught us a lot of things, not only when he played but when he spoke. If you know him and the people that know him only speak well about this great guy. A great leader for Italy."
It is unclear if Conte will be on the touchline for Saturday's FA Cup showdown, where Tottenham have the chance to make it back-to-back wins after thumping Crystal Palace 4-0 in Wednesday's Premier League match.
Spurs are also gearing up for a North London derby with Arsenal on January 15, leading to the expectation that a heavily-altered side will take to the field against Portsmouth.
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However, the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are unlikely to be rested given Tottenham's lack of attacking options, as Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Moura and Richarlison are all out of contention.
When asked about the possibility of dropping Kane from the starting lineup, Stellini added: "Could be an opportunity to give him a rest but we don't have many players.
"We have to choose the player in the front line and it's an important cup and an important match. We are working hard to recover players. Maybe some can recover next week but we have to focus on this next match and we will respect this competition."
Nevertheless, the likes of Pape Sarr, Japhet Tanganga, Djed Spence, Ryan Sessegnon and Fraser Forster could all come into the fray from the first whistle as Tottenham keep players fresh for the North London derby.
The Lilywhites are aiming to extend a 48-year streak on Saturday, as they have not lost to a lower-league team in an FA Cup home game since going down 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in a 1975 replay - winning 35 and drawing eight such encounters since.
Ben Knapton
