Roberto De Zerbi is having to contend without a score of key players ahead of Monday's bout with Leeds United
Leeds United will see Antonin Kinsky continue in goal for Tottenham Hotspur in Monday night’s Premier League clash with first choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario still unavailable.
Kinsky hit the headlines in March when he was taken off by former boss Igor Tudor just 17 minutes into the club’s 5-2 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, by which time he had conceded three goals.
With Vicario yet to return from an operation on a hernia, Kinsky has started the last four games and re-steadied himself, keeping a clean sheet against bottom club Wolves last month.
He is set to stay in between the sticks with new boss Roberto De Zerbi outlining that Vicario will not be ready in time for Monday's meeting with Leeds. Dominic Solanke also remains a doubt with a leg muscle injury, having missed the win over Aston Villa last weekend.
James Maddison has made the Spurs bench for the last three games, after coming back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but De Zerbi threw cold water on his game time prospects. He explained: “I'm thinking about James Madison because I'm watching a top, top player.
“Maybe he's not ready yet to play, but as a physical condition, not for the rhythm, for the intensity of the game. We are playing in the Premier League, the most difficult league in terms of intensity and rhythm.”
Meanwhile full-back Ben Davies is expected to miss the match while Spurs have five other players out for the rest of the season; Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Mohammed Kudus (who scored against Leeds back in October), Dejan Kulusevski and Cristian Romero.
On the test of facing Leeds itself, De Zerbi added: “We're going to play against one of the best teams at this moment because in the last five, six games they won against Man United.
“They drew in Bournemouth, playing well. They won at home two times, Wolves and Burnley. For that, we have big respect. We can't think in a different way. We have to keep this mentality.
“We must remain humble. Nothing changes. We have to prepare for an important game. The same way we are playing. We didn't play so well in Wolves, but in the first 30 minutes, we played okay.
“Against Brighton at home, we played 90 minutes and extra time very well. We have to stay focused on this type of performance. This type of attitude. This type of spirit and showing the quality of the players.”