“He’s now the first goalkeeper of Tottenham, because….Roberto De Zerbi makes big statement on his first-choice Tottenham goalkeeper

Roberto De Zerbi has revealed whether Guglielmo Vicario will reclaim his starting spot in the Tottenham goal ahead of Antonin Kinsky once he returns to full fitness.

Vicario has missed all four of Tottenham’s matches under De Zerbi so far after undergoing a hernia operation, and the goalkeeper is not expected to be fit for the upcoming clash against Leeds either. In his absence, Kinsky has impressed, proving highly reliable between the posts, and De Zerbi has been full of praise for the 23-year-old.

The Tottenham boss has now addressed whether the young Czech shot-stopper has done enough to permanently replace the former Empoli man as his number one.

Roberto De Zerbi makes it clear that Guglielmo Vicario remains Tottenham’s number one

Vicario has faced considerable criticism this season for his errors, and reports over recent months have widely suggested that the Tottenham keeper is set to return to Serie A this summer. Some may therefore wonder whether the 29-year-old Italian has already played his final game for Spurs.

But De Zerbi has made it clear that Vicario will be back in the starting lineup once he is fully fit. When asked if Kinsky would remain first-choice for the remaining three games, De Zerbi told Football.London: “Vicario is still the first goalkeeper of Tottenham, because what Vicario showed this season is enough to consider him a top player for us. But we have to consider the physical condition, the period—how many games he missed—and we will see when Vicario will be good.”

De Zerbi hails Antonin Kinsky for the character he has shown

Kinsky has admitted that the support from those around him and from the fans has been key in helping him bounce back from his major setback at the Metropolitano Stadium, where he was substituted after just 17 minutes by Igor Tudor following several poor mistakes.

De Zerbi has praised the character the young goalkeeper has shown in overcoming adversity over the past few weeks. When asked about his experience working with Kinsky, the 46-year-old said: “Big character, big personality. Great guy, great professional, and great goalkeeper. He’s playing very well. He has to stay focused and not take risks in any situation, but he is playing very well and is very important for us now.

“Of course, he is an example. What he felt after Madrid, for sure, was a big, big motivation for him. If you have pride, if you have dignity, if you have the right spirit, if you have character—and he has all these values.”