Tottenham Hotspur set off for New Zealand on Thursday to kick off their pre-season tour, but Guglielmo Vicario won’t be part of the travelling squad.
Roberto De Zerbi has selected a 35-man group for Sunday’s clash with Auckland FC at Eden Park, the second friendly of the summer. From there, Spurs head to Australia to take on Sydney FC on July 29, before wrapping up the tour against Chelsea on August 1.
Announcing the squad on Thursday, the club revealed Vicario has been left out after suffering a “minor knock” in training. He’ll remain at Hotspur Way for treatment rather than travel.
Mohamed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert are also missing, though that’s no surprise given they’re still working their way back from long-term injuries. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Pedro Porro, Marcos Senesi, Cristian Romero and Djed Spence have stayed behind due to World Cup commitments.
In goal, Antonin Kinsky played the first 45 minutes of Wednesday’s closed-doors friendly against MK Dons, with new signing Martin Dubravka taking over for the second half. Both are set to feature across the tour, and they’ll be joined by Brandon Austin and 18-year-old Dylan Thompson, who have both made the trip to New Zealand.
Vicario’s absence is likely to intensify speculation over his Spurs future. The 29-year-old has been strongly linked with a move away this summer, with interest reportedly coming from Serie A.
With two years still left on his contract, Vicario has been tied to Juventus, Inter and Napoli. Reports suggest Kinsky is being lined up as De Zerbi’s first-choice keeper next season, with summer arrival Dubravka as backup — leaving Vicario surplus to requirements.
Juventus appear to be the frontrunners for his signature. The Italian giants are actively hunting a new goalkeeper and have also shown interest in Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez.
Whether Vicario ends up joining the squad in New Zealand or Australia remains to be seen, though it looks unlikely given Spurs have already taken four keepers on tour. With the Premier League season just weeks away, both club and player will be hoping for a resolution soon.
