Tottenham Hotspur were dealt a big blow on Tuesday after it was revealed that No.1 Guglielmo Vicario suffered a fracture to his right ankle during the 4-0 win over Manchester City.
The Italy international shared that he played 60 plus odd minutes with a broken ankle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. He made five crucial saves during that time despite the pain, helping Spurs to a big win over Pep Guardiola’s side.
The club released an official statement stating that the goalkeeper underwent surgery on his right ankle and the medical staff will continue to assess him to determine when he can return to training.
On his official Instagram account, Guglielmo Vicario wrote: “Sometimes football gives you its highs, and sometimes it challenges you in ways you don’t expect. I played 60 minutes at the Etihad with a broken bone in my ankle, giving absolutely everything, I had for the team. Unfortunately, there was no way around this one. I needed surgery.
“I’m disappointed I won’t be able to help the team for a while. A massive thank you to the doctors and the staff. The operation went well, and from tomorrow I’ll be working hard to come back stronger, fitter, and ready to give my all for you again. Thank you to the Spurs fans for all the love. See you soon on the pitch.”
Since he arrived from the Italian side of Empoli in June 2023, Vicario has started every Premier League game for Tottenham. The gloveman is yet to miss a single minute of Premier League action, playing all 38 games last season and each of the 12 league matches so far in 2024/25. Veteran Fraser Forster is likely to deputise for the injured 28-year-old in goal starting from the Europa League fixture against AS Roma on Thursday evening.
Spurs considering signing a new goalkeeper in January
Losing Vicario to a long-term ankle injury 48 hours after the big win over City is a big blow to Big Ange and Spurs. Despite his obvious flaws, he has been a regular in between the sticks and a vocal leader on and off the pitch. It is an even bigger setback because there is no capable backup to the Italian in Big Ange’s squad.
Keeping that in mind, the chiefs at the Hotspur Way are reportedly considering whether to dip their toes for a new goalkeeper in the January transfer window. There are question marks over whether Forster is capable of covering all the games in the busy fixture schedule in the coming weeks and months. Especially after shaky performances in the cup games earlier this season, it would be too risky to rely on the ex-England international.
With Tottenham competing on all fronts, a new goalkeeper has to be on the agenda. LOSC Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier has been linked with a move to Spurs, and if the club have ambitions to win a trophy and qualify for the Champions League, they must splash the cash on him.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
