Tottenham Hotspur's brilliant and dominating 4–0 dismantling of Manchester City at Etihad Stadium didn't go as smoothly as many originally thought, as it was confirmed that goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario underwent surgery after fracturing his ankle during the victory.
Tottenham released a statement confirming its starting goalkeeper went under the knife on Monday and the medical staff will continue to assess him to determine when he can return to training.
Vicario received medical help in the first half against Manchester City but did continue and played the full 90 minutes, tallying an extra three saves in the second half after the original injury had already occurred.
The Italian goalkeeper took to social media to say, "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."
Since his arrival from Empoli in the summer of 2023, Vicario has started every Premier League game Spurs have played, replacing longtime starter, Hugo Lloris. He's kept 10 clean sheets in 50 EPL games.
When Will Guglielmo Vicario Return From Injury?
There's no clear timetable for Vicario's return given the many variables at play when a player suffers such an injury and undergoes surgery. However, it may be safe to assume that Vicario will miss a major chunk of the season.
Unfortunately for Vicario and Spurs, the team enters a packed portion of the schedule with 10 games in all competitions between now and the end of the year and six more in the month of January.
Vicario joins other important pieces in Ange Postecoglou's defense on the injured list that include centerbacks Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.
Potential Replacements for Tottenham Hotspur
The likely candidate to replace Vicario for the time being is 36-year-old Fraser Foster. The veteran goalkeeper has appeared in three games this season, notching a clean sheet in the UEFA Europa League victory over AZ Alkmaar.
The inexperienced duo of Alfie Whiteman and Brandon Austin are currently the other two goalkeepers in Spurs squad and will backup Foster.
Vicario played a key role in Postecoglou's system, primarily for his ability to play out from the back. This is something Foster must pick up and understand quickly, as he's not known for being a ball-playing goalkeeper.
If things don't go to plan in the remaining 10 games of the year and Vicario's recovery takes longer than hoped, then Tottenham might be a prime candidate to use the January transfer window to look for an emergency goalkeeper.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Guglielmo Vicario Injury Progress, Potential Return Date for Tottenham Goalkeeper.
