Spurs entered the 2022-23 campaign with high hopes after seeing highly-rated Italian tactician Conte guide them to a top-four finish in the Premier League. Inconsistency has, however, proved to be an issue once again, with a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Serie A title holders Milan enough to dump them out of European competition. Richarlison was given just 20 minutes off the bench in the second leg of a crunch encounter with the Rossoneri – as Conte returned to the bench following his recovery from gallbladder surgery – and the Brazilian wants answers as to why he has been dropped from a team crying out for inspiration from somewhere.

 Richarlison told TNT Sports: “That's what I didn't understand, too (being a substitute). It was going well, in a good sequence, two wins against West Ham and Chelsea. Suddenly, he (Cristian Stellini) put me on the bench, against Wolverhampton he put me on for five minutes. I asked why? They didn't tell me anything. And, yesterday, they asked me to take a test at the gym, that if I was good I would go to the game and, at the time of the game, they left me on the bench. These are things that it is not possible to understand.

“Let's see what he (Conte) will say tomorrow, but there are no fools here either, I'm a professional, I work every day and I want to play. There are minutes left, time left. This season, excuse the word, it's been sh*t, because I don't have minutes, I suffered a little with the injury. But, when I enter the field, I give my life. I came from two games well, I think that's it, I think I should have played and I don't have to cry about it.”