Postecoglou Addresses Vicario’s Injury, Forster’s Readiness, and Davies’ Performance

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou addressed reporters ahead of Thursday’s Europa League match at home against Roma, scheduled for 20:00 GMT. The following are the main points from his press conference: Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario sustained a broken ankle, which will sideline him for “months rather than weeks.” While the Italian player has undergone surgery, Postecoglou stated his reluctance to “giving timelines as it puts on expectations.” Regarding Vicario’s injury, which he continued to play with during Saturday’s 4-0 victory against Manchester City, Postecoglou remarked: “We saw him at half time but there was no doubt about continuing. It’s testament to the man though and externally people will realise what we see internally. He’s hard as nails.” Postecoglou further indicated that acquiring a free agent is “not going to happen,” explaining: “That’s why we’ve got a squad of players. We’ve got four goalkeepers. Fraser [Forster], I’ve known for a long-time. He’s such a strong character in the group and always ready to play.” Commenting on Roma’s new manager, Claudio Ranieri, Postecoglou said: “It just goes to show the passion he has for the game. It’s always nice to meet these people who have had made such an impact on football. He’s always come across as a gentleman. That bug you have for being on the touchline doesn’t leave you.” Postecoglou expressed satisfaction with Ben Davies’ current form, stating: “I’d doubt anyone who has a passion for this club would say anything other than he has the highest of respect. The testament to his ability is that a number of coaches have all trusted him at different times. He’s still performing at a very high level.” Postecoglou affirmed that securing a spot in the Europa League’s top eight “certainly needs to be the aim.” He further commented: “Our European form in general has been really good and not in easy circumstances. We’ve played a lot of young players and given a lot of players game time which has been really good.”