Antonio Contea has claimed that Matt Doherty and Djed Spence have not done enough to convince him they are worthy of starting for Tottenham this season.
Emerson Royal has started as a right-back in all but one of Spurs’ eight Premier League appearances this season so far.
Meanwhile, Spence, who signed a £20 million contract from Middlesbrough in the summer, has played just one minute in the Premier League and Doherty has made two late appearances as a substitute.
But Conte will now be forced into a Premier League reshuffle as Emerson Royal now faces a three-match suspension for his red card in Spurs’ 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday.
When told that Spurs supporters hope Spence will get more playing time after the Emerson Royal suspension, Conte said: “The fans should be fans.
“The fans are the fans, I understand they can think anything, but I see every day what happens in training.
“I try to do the best for the team. If they trust me, they trust me, but the choices are mine. If I haven’t decided to pick one player, maybe it’s because he’s not ready yet.
“We are talking about a young player with a good prospect, but I repeat that I am trying to choose the best team.
“Doherty also played every game last season. Now I don’t see it in the right way to start the game. I’m not stupid, I don’t want to lose. I try to put together the best team, choose the best team.
“If they trust me it’s okay, if they don’t trust me then I’m the coach and I have to make the best decision for Tottenham.”
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