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Louise Thomas

Editor

Ange Postecoglou has revealed Yves Bissouma will miss Tottenham’s trip to Leicester on Monday after he was seen inhaling laughing gas last weekend.

Bissouma apologised after a video emerged on Sunday night of him inhaling a balloon believed to contain nitrous oxide - widely known as laughing gas - inside it.

Spurs started an internal investigation and the midfielder has been handed a one-match suspension as a result of his misconduct.

“We’ve suspended him for Mondays’ game,” Postecoglou explained. “The door is open for him and hopefully we can help him to realise the decisions he makes impacts more than just him.

“Hopefully it allows him to make better decisions moving forward. Beyond that, there is also some trust-building that needs to happen between Biss and me, and Biss and the group. That’s what he needs to work hard at, to win that back.”

Nitrous oxide was made a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act last November, as part of the Government’s anti-social behaviour action plan.

Possession of nitrous oxide, where a person intends to wrongfully inhale it for a psychoactive effect, is now an offence, but it is still possible to use the gas for legitimate reasons, such as in catering or pain relief during labour.

Bissouma signed for Tottenham in 2022 from Brighton and has made 56 appearances for the club.

He featured for 45 minutes in Spurs’ final preseason friendly against Bayern Munich last weekend.

“There’s the personal ramifications, because it’s illegal,” Postecoglou added. “Then there’s the professional responsibility - the example you set as a professional footballer - because there are so many people who follow the Premier League and we’re all in a pretty privileged position.

“He’s made a poor choice. But within that context, we all make mistakes, there should always be an opportunity there for rehabilitation and redemption for every human being, including footballers.”

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