Dominic Solanke has been ruled out of Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League match against Chelsea on Tuesday but goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is available after recovering from hernia surgery.
Solanke has only made 15 league appearances this season as he has struggled to stay fit. He missed the first half of the campaign with a persistent ankle issue and suffered a muscle injury in the first half of last month’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi was hopeful the England international could return against Chelsea but revealed on Monday he is not fully fit.
Vicario’s last appearance for Spurs was Igor Tudor’s final game in charge, their 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in March. The 29-year-old then underwent a hernia operation and Antonin Kinsky has started all of their matches since De Zerbi replaced Tudor.
“Vicario is available to play,” De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference. “I decide tomorrow (who starts in goal). Solanke is not good yet. He is not available. He feels something. I don’t want to take a risk for this game.
“We hope for Sunday. Maybe for Sunday he can be available for one part of the game.”
In a previous press conference, De Zerbi described Vicario as Tottenham’s first-choice goalkeeper. He said it would be an “easy decision” to choose between Vicario and Kinsky for Chelsea but did not reveal who would start.
“Yes, Vicario is No 1 but we have to consider the physical condition at the moment, everything,” De Zerbi said. “I have a big relationship with Antonin Kinsky and with Vicario as well. There won’t be any problem.
Victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge will secure Spurs’ top-flight status for another season.
‘A blow to Spurs’ chances’
One of the biggest takeaways from last week’s draw with Leeds United is the lack of attacking options on the bench for De Zerbi to pick from. Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons are recovering from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries while Mohammed Kudus has been unavailable since January due to a hamstring problem.
Solanke’s absence is a blow to Spurs’ chances of winning for only the second time in 36 years at Stamford Bridge and sending West Ham United down in the process.
Solanke — who started his career in Chelsea’s academy and made his senior debut for them under former Spurs head coach Jose Mourinho — is more composed on the ball than Richarlison and offers a greater threat running in behind. Solanke’s scorpion-kick in February’s draw with Manchester City proved he can create something special out of nothing. However, De Zerbi will have to continue to rely on Mathys Tel, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani.
Solanke will also be concerned about how this impacts his chance of being named in England’s squad for this summer’s World Cup. The 28-year-old featured under Thomas Tuchel in March’s friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. Since then Solanke’s rivals upfront, including Ollie Watkins, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Danny Welbeck, have played and scored regularly. Is Tuchel going to call-up someone with a bad injury record this season who has only scored six times in all competitions?
De Zerbi was cryptic with his answers about the goalkeeping situation but it would be bizarre to drop Kinsky after his excellent performance against Leeds, including his impressive saves to prevent Joe Rodon and Sean Longstaff from scoring.