Tottenham Hotspur’s goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, is scheduled to start in Sunday afternoon’s Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest. This selection comes despite his recent decision to decline a call-up to the Italy national team, as he is set to undergo a sports hernia operation next week.
Why is Vicario starting for Tottenham but not included in the Italy squad?
Vicario was notably absent from Gennaro Gattuso’s 28-player Italy squad for the upcoming World Cup play-offs during this international break. The Azzurri are preparing to host Northern Ireland in a semi-final match on Thursday evening, with the victor advancing to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away for a place in the final tournament.
Tottenham confirmed that the reason behind Vicario’s exclusion from the Italy squad is his scheduled surgery for a sports hernia. This procedure, expected to occur next week, is likely to keep the goalkeeper sidelined for approximately one month.
The club further stated that Vicario chose to have the operation now to minimize its impact on his availability for Tottenham at the club level. The decision to forgo the play-offs was also considered understandable, given that Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma is widely anticipated to start both matches for Italy, assuming they overcome Northern Ireland in the semi-final.
However, it has come as a slight surprise to many observers that Vicario is still in the starting lineup for Tottenham’s Premier League relegation clash against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, particularly with his surgery just days away.