Lace up your Kinsky Boots, because it sounds like we’re going to see a lot more from Antonin after the upcoming international break. According to Gianluca DiMarzio, Tottenham Hotspur starting keeper Guglielmo Vicario is set to undergo surgery for a hernia on Monday, just after the critical Nottingham Forest six-pointer at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Soooooooooo yeah. I haven’t seen confirmation from the club yet on this and suspect I won’t until it actually happens and they post about it on Monday. This implies, but doesn’t state, that Vic will play against Forest, but I certainly hope he does. DiMarzio’s focus is on Vicario’s availability for the Italian national team; it states that he has not been called up by Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso, and the focus is now to rest after surgery for a few weeks so he’s hopefully ready in time for the World Cup this summer.
For Tottenham, it’s not great news. It suggests that Vic has likely been carrying an injury for some time and perhaps it’s now been exacerbated to the point where it can no longer be ignored. Meanwhile, Kinsky, Spurs’ backup keeper, essentially shat the bed in his last start in the first leg of the Champions League, conceding four goals inside 20 minutes and being hooked at the 17’ minute mark. The focus now turns squarely on him again, and hopefully his confidence isn’t so shot that he starts doing that kind of stuff again.
Behind Kinsky is Brandon Austin, a player who has made exactly one league appearance for Spurs (January 2025 vs. Newcastle in a 2-1 loss) and who’s claim to Spurs fame is in his status as a homegrown, club-trained player whom Spurs can use use bolster its European squad. Neither option looks particularly great with Spurs facing relegation and a tricky run-in without their starting keeper. But, you go to war with the soldiers you have, I suppose.