Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario will be out for “months, not weeks” with an ankle injury, Ange Postecoglou has confirmed.
Vicario was operated on after playing 60 minutes with a broken ankle against Manchester City on Saturday.
The 28-year-old required treatment after a collision with City winger Savinho in the first half but played the entire game Tottenham won 4-0.
“We saw he picked up an injury during the game and was in pain at half-time, but there was no doubt he would carry on,” Spurs coach Postecoglou said.
“It’s a testament to him as a person. He’s tough, as tough as it gets.”
“It's a big blow, but we've faced setbacks before and we'll deal with this one.”
The Italian goalkeeper has only missed four games since joining from Empoli in June 2023 – none of them in the Premier League.
“The fact that he played at this level for over 60 minutes with a broken ankle was quite outstanding,” added Postecoglou.
“Regardless of the injury, it was a truly outstanding performance. If you look at it in that context, it is certainly a record achievement for this club when it comes to outstanding performances.”
Fraser Forster, 36, has been a substitute in all four of Vicario's absences, including the Carabao Cup win at Coventry in September and Europa League games against AZ Alkmaar and Galatasaray.
Postecoglou supported Forster and ruled out signing a free agent to replace Vicario.
He also said the injury “does not change our plans” for the January transfer window.
“That’s not going to happen – I don’t think signing a free agent now will help us,” Postecoglou added.
“I have known Fraser for a long time. He is such a strong character in the group and always ready to play.”
Spurs, who sit fifth in the Premier League, host Roma in the Europa League on Thursday before facing Fulham on Sunday.
