How can Tottenham solve the problem of Guglielmo Vicario’s injury? – opinion
Tottenham Hotspur will have to turn to their squad goalkeepers after Guglielmo Vicario picked up a serious injury against Manchester City.
Guglielmo Vicario’s injury is Tottenham’s worst fear made real
Spurs fans will be praying that bad luck only comes in threes as Tottenham Hotspur have now completed a hattrick of pyrrhic victories.
They beat Manchester City twice and Aston Villa each coming with the additional cost of long-term injuries to Micky van de Ven, Richarlison and now Guglielmo Vicario.
The injury to Vicario feels as if it may have severe consequences, since he was so integral to the wins against Manchester City, completing 6 saves over the two fixtures.
The fracture in his ankle and subsequent surgery will likely see Vicario miss a significant portion of the season’s remaining fixtures. An eventuality the Tottenham coaching team would have been desperately hoping to avoid.
Spurs need to put faith in Forster and Austin to contribute
Ange Postecoglou has two alternative goalkeeper options in Fraser Forster and Brandon Austin. Based on his appearances ahead of Austin in the Carabao Cup and Europa League, it seems that Forster has secured the ‘number 2’ spot.
Postecoglou will surely opt for faith in experience and start Fraser Forster in the Premier League games and harder cup fixtures. What Forster may lack in reactive shot-stopping ability, he will need to look to make up for by using his unique frame as a commanding box presence.
While Brandon Austin has youth on his side, he has only totalled 450 senior competitive career minutes, coming from his loan to Orlando City in the MLS. This makes him an unknown for most fans and likely lacking the experience required to play in the Premier League.
That being said, two games per week until January could prove too demanding for Forster, who has had infrequent competitive minutes over the last two years. In which case, Brandon Austin may be thrust into the limelight, with some of December’s Europa League games as a chance for first-team experience.
Poor squad planning or a justified show of confidence?
Tottenham may come to rue not signing another goalkeeper over the summer. However, that can no longer be addressed until January and there are 10 fixtures to be played between now and then.
Spurs fans will certainly be anxious, having to prepare to be without Vicario for the foreseeable. The performances Forster and possibly Austin put in, will prove to either be an indictment of Tottenham’s squad planning or a justification for putting faith in an academy product and a goalkeeper once praised by Lionel Messi.
The hope will be that regardless of how Tottenham could have accounted for this possible injury situation, they end up being rewarded for the belief they have placed in the current depth of keepers in the squad.
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