Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario underwent a successful hernia operation after the Nottingham Forest game.
Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario underwent hernia surgery earlier this week.
The club had announced that the Italian international would go under the knife after the Nottingham Forest game. He featured in the embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, and was criticised by certain sections of the fans for conceding Morgan Gibbs-White’s goal.
On Monday, Guglielmo Vicario successfully underwent a hernia surgery, with the Lilywhites planning to use the international break for his recovery and hoping he misses as little action as possible. The 29-year-old travelled to Italy on Thursday to be with his teammates at their training camp ahead of the pivotal World Cup play-off campaign. Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in Bergamo and will play Bosnia and Herzegovina away on March 30 in their play-off final.
Guglielmo Vicario has been playing for Tottenham for months through the pain barrier
Vicario has recently been nominated for the Premier League Save of the Month award for his acrobatic tip on the post at Anfield to deny Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo. He played a key role in helping his team earn a point following a 1-1 draw with Liverpool earlier this month.
Reacting to his nomination, Tottenham goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte praised Vicario. He posted a message on his Instagram to the Italian, which read: “So much respect for what you went through for months to be there for the team every game.”
Otto’s words are a clear indication of the severity of the pain Vicario has been going through, and for how long it has been prohibiting him. This isn’t the first time the 29-year-old has been playing through the pain barrier. In November 2024, the Tottenham custodian suffered an ankle fracture against Manchester City following a collision with Savinho, yet completed the match. He underwent surgery to repair his ankle, ruling him out for more than two months.
This shows Vicario’s mental fortitude and resilience, and having completed a game with an ankle fracture last season, it isn’t surprising to see him play with the groin pain for months. It is a pure display of commitment from the goalkeeper, making himself available for every game for Spurs. While it is brave on his part, it may not go down well within our fanbase and many would say that the Italian should’ve undergone surgery earlier and not aggravated the injury.
Nonetheless, as much as criticism and abuse Vicario has had to deal with this campaign, he should be lauded for sacrificing himself to the team’s cause and playing through the pain barrier for months. Hopefully, the ex-Empoli star returns back to action as early as possible next month.