Tottenham Hotspur’s injury crisis has deepened, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario joining the club’s growing list of sidelined players.
The Italian shot-stopper underwent surgery for a fractured right ankle sustained during Spurs’ commanding 4-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Remarkably, Vicario played through the injury for over an hour, delivering a standout performance to secure a rare away clean sheet.
Manager Ange Postecoglou, already navigating a string of setbacks, now faces an even steeper challenge. This echoes a similar scenario from last November when Tottenham’s strong early-season form was derailed by injuries and suspensions, including key players like Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, and Cristian Romero.
Currently, Spurs are without Van de Ven, Romero, Richarlison, and Wilson Odobert due to injuries, while Rodrigo Bentancur is serving a seven-match suspension for a racial slur involving teammate Son Heung-Min.
Veteran goalkeeper Fraser Forster is set to take over from Vicario. While the 36-year-old has had a respectable career at clubs like Celtic and Southampton, concerns linger about his ability to replicate Vicario’s sweeper-keeper style or handle the team’s fluid build-up play.
Forster is expected to start in Tottenham’s upcoming Europa League match against Roma. He has already featured in the tournament this season and will aim to deliver a performance similar to Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin, who seamlessly filled defensive gaps against Manchester City.
Tottenham’s best hope to weather this crisis lies in their offensive prowess. They lead the Premier League with 27 goals in 12 matches, outscoring Liverpool by three and netting three or more goals in seven of 18 matches across all competitions.
Brennan Johnson could play a pivotal role in the clash against Roma. Spurs fans will look to him to lead the attack, with betting odds favoring him at 7/1 to score first and 21/10 to net at any time.
Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim seeks his first victory as Manchester United manager in their Europa League tie against Bodo/Glimt at Old Trafford.
Despite a mediocre 1-1 draw at Ipswich last weekend, United are tipped for a narrow win, with under 2.5 goals a strong betting option. Bruno Fernandes is another player to watch, with odds of 23/4 to score first.
Chelsea also gear up for European action, facing Heidenheim 1846 in the Europa Conference League. The Blues are tipped to lead at halftime and full-time, priced at 23/20.
In the NFL, Thanksgiving’s headline game features the New York Giants facing the Dallas Cowboys. Despite a shaky season, the Cowboys are backed to win by more than 3.5 points at 6/5.
Tottenham’s journey continues to be a rollercoaster ride, but their attacking firepower may prove crucial as they aim to navigate this challenging period without key players.