Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is set to undergo hernia surgery after Sunday’s game against Nottingham Forest and could be ruled out, opening the door for Antonin Kinski to return after Atletico Madrid’s horror show.
Spurs confirmed on Friday that Vicario will undergo “minor treatment to minimize the impact on the season as possible” and is “hoped to be able to return to action within the next month”.
Sky Sports News understands he will be available for selection in the six-point term in Sunday’s tough relegation decider against Forest, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
It is understood the 29-year-old has been playing through pain for several weeks with the problem.
Vicario’s stats since joining Spurs
However, the Italy international now faces a race to be available for Spurs’ next game after the game against Forest, against Sunderland on April 12, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
If Vicario fails to recover in time for the game at the Stadium of Light, Kinski could start after being embarrassingly substituted after just 17 minutes in the 5-2 Champions League last-16 first leg defeat to Atletico Madrid earlier this month.
Kinski was sent off in Spain for two mistakes that left Spurs 3-0 down after just 15 minutes, but he was not selected in the Czech Republic squad for this month’s World Cup play-off campaign and will remain with Spurs during the March international break.
Analyzing the Spurs goalkeeper
Vicario was also a notable absentee from Italy’s squad for this month’s international matches announced on Friday.
Spurs manager Igor Tudor addressed the media late on Friday and confirmed there were no new injury issues, but the Premier League struggling club revealed Vicario’s surgery ahead of Sunday’s visit to 17th-placed Forest, who are one point behind Tottenham.
What did Tudor say about Kinski?
Tudor last week defended his man-management abilities and revealed he hugged Kinski after his early substitution in Madrid.
“If you make a substitution after 15 minutes, the manager loses in either case,” Tudor said.
“The first case was because you put him in and everyone said, ‘Why are you doing this? You killed the guy.’ Otherwise you risk conceding one or two more goals.
“I made the decision after much consideration and would do it again if necessary. It was an action to protect the players and the team.”
“Why didn’t I go and hug him? Maybe he was angry. Maybe the coach would do something to avoid this scene and make the situation worse than it was.”
“Sometimes it’s better to be there and at halftime we hug each other. At halftime we just talked and nothing (more) happened. The situation happened there. It ended there.”
Asked if he hugged a shocked Kinski at halftime, Tudor replied: “Of course.”
Tudor then backed Kinski, who he said had the “strength and quality” to bounce back.
Tudor: “Madison could return before the end of the season” “Solanke deserves the forest”
Tudor revealed in Friday’s press conference ahead of the game against Forest that James Maddison, who has been out for a long period of time, could return from an anterior cruciate ligament injury before the end of the season.
Sunday, March 22, 2:00 p.m.
2:15pm kickoff
Madison hasn’t played a single minute this season due to a knee injury suffered during the preseason.
Asked if Maddison would be able to return by the end of the season, he said: “Yeah.
“Madison was already doing some interesting things with the ball and doing some sprinting. I watched him and he was positive.”
There was also good news that Dominic Solanke will be available for the game against Forest.
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Paul Merson has given his thoughts on Tottenham’s huge Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The striker missed Friday’s training but Tudor said he was fit to face Forest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after missing midweek’s Champions League home win against Atletico Madrid.
“Dom didn’t train, but maybe tomorrow he will train with the team and be available,” the Croatian said.
“He had a hip problem, so I think he’ll be fine.”
Spurs’ absentee list has eased a bit this week with the return of Lucas Bergvall and Destiny Oudogui from injury, with Mohamed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur likely to return next, with Tottenham set to take a three-week break after Sunday’s game against Forest.
Regarding Kudus’ return, Tudor said: “I don’t know, but some of the team stuff will probably start in the next 10 days.
“I’m not sure, we’ll have to check, but he’s already making really good progress with the ball.
“So is Rodrigo, so is Maddison.
“We hope that the medical staff will have some nice surprises for us in the coming weeks. Their presence is very important.”
However, the former Juventus manager did not have a clear update on Dejan Kulusevski’s return.
Bridge: Vicario puts the club before himself
Michael Bridge on Sky Sports:
“Spurs have three weeks between the Nottingham Forest game and the next game against Sunderland so we think the timing is right. And of course he deserves credit for playing through the pain barrier, but is that potentially holding him back a little bit? Only Vicario knows.
“He will be playing against Nottingham Forest in a big game on Sunday.
“The information we have is that he will be available on Sunday, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will start. He may wake up in pain, but he is in contention. The message we are getting from Tottenham is that although he has been in a lot of pain lately, he is putting the club and the team first.”
