LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur have suspended midfielder Yves Bissouma for Monday’s Premier League opener against Leicester City after a video was posted on social media appearing to show him snorting nitrous oxide.
The 27-year-old apologised for the incident last weekend involving the Class C substance, also known as laughing gas.
“He will not be available on Monday. We have suspended him for Monday’s game,” manager Ange Postecoglou told reporters at his pre-match press conference on Thursday. “He needs to rebuild that trust, both with me and with the group.
“The doors are open for them and hopefully we can help them realise the impact the decisions they make have on the group.”
Inhaling nitrous oxide is illegal, after the UK government classified it as a Class C drug last year.
“I’ve been in this game for a long time. When a situation like this arises, I try to look at it in two ways. Firstly, there’s one person, that’s Biss, and he made a wrong decision,” Australian Postecoglou said.
“The other aspect is that he is a footballer who has responsibilities. It depends on behaviour, friend, it’s that simple. It’s about making better decisions.
“He was very apologetic to me, to the club and to everybody involved, but that’s just part of it.”
Tottenham newcomer Dominic Solanke could get a chance to make his Leicester debut after the striker agreed a 65 million pound ($83.38 million) deal from Bournemouth.
“Football-wise you can see he has all the qualities we need. He still needs time to integrate into the team. He is adapting well to the team and training,” Postecoglou said.
“We still have a few training sessions to play, but he is doing well. He should be available.”