Tottenham are set to face Sunderland in new head coach Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge.
Tottenham Hotspur announced the capture of Roberto De Zerbi as their permanent head coach during the March international break. He has been brought in to save the club from potential relegation following a disastrous interim spell in charge by Igor Tudor.
The North Londoners sit 17th in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone and staring down the barrel of relegation. Roberto De Zerbi’s side could be in the bottom three by the time they kick off against Sunderland, with West Ham United, currently in 18th spot, hosting Wolves at the London Stadium on Friday evening.
De Zerbi’s first assignment as Spurs head coach is a trip to Sunderland on Sunday, and given the extensive injury list he has inherited from Tudor, he faces some selection headaches. Guglielmo Vicario also joined that list when he underwent hernia surgery during the international break. The club planned to use the international break for his recovery, with the hope he would miss as little action as possible.
Roberto De Zerbi gives injury update on Guglielmo Vicario
Addressing in his first official press conference as the Tottenham boss, De Zerbi gave an update on Guglielmo Vicario and whether he will be available to face Sunderland.
“Vicario is not ready for this game,” De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference (h/t Football London).
“I hope he can come back next week, but I don’t know yet.”
Vicario was always supposed to miss the Sunderland game. The Brighton fixture at home on April 18 was also deemed to be too early for the Italian goalkeeper, but De Zerbi has given hope with his latest comments in his press conference.
The club’s medical department simply must not rush the 29-year-old to action and risk aggravating the groin problem. With Vicario ruled out for the trip to the Stadium of Light, we are likely to see Antonin Kinsky in goal on Sunday. The 23-year-old will get a shot at redemption after Tudor hooked him in the 17th minute of his Champions League debut against Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital following his two high-profile errors last month.
Hopefully, Kinsky steps up and produces his best in goal to help Tottenham claim their first league win of 2026.