Tottenham make decision on keeper vs Nottingham Forest after brutal injury blow

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario will undergo hernia surgery next week, and they face the prospect of bringing back in Antonin Kinsky after the international break

Tottenham Hotspur's goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, is set for a stint on the sidelines as he prepares for hernia surgery. This development could see interim head coach Igor Tudor turn to Antonin Kinsky - who was replaced by the Spurs boss during their 5-2 Champions League last-16 first-leg loss to Atletico Madrid last week.

Vicario has been among the many Tottenham players grappling with poor form this season. The Italian has been part of a Spurs squad that is facing an unprecedented threat of relegation from the Premier League. Currently, Spurs are precariously placed 16th in the top-flight table - just one point above the relegation zone.

Vicario was benched for the European match in favour of Kinsky last week, but was brought back into play 17 minutes into the game following several blunders from the Czech keeper.

Vicario, however, is expected to still feature in Sunday's crucial match against fellow relegation contenders Nottingham Forest.

Footballers have been known to play despite having a hernia issue. Past instances include Fernando Torres, Harry Kewell, and Scott McTominay.

Nevertheless, the surgery is likely to cause some disruption to Spurs' season as they strive to stave off relegation to the Championship.

A statement from Spurs confirmed: "We can confirm that Guglielmo Vicario will undergo surgery next week on a hernia.

"The minor procedure for the Italy international goalkeeper has been timed to have as minimal impact on our season as possible.

"Guglielmo will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately, and it is hoped that he could return to action within the next month."

The announcement follows Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso's decision to omit Vicario from his squad for the March international break.

It remains uncertain which, if any, of Tottenham's remaining league matches Vicario will be absent for. Given Spurs' timeframe, Kinsky could feature for at least the two Premier League games after the international break away to Sunderland and at home to Brighton.

Tudor made no reference to Vicario's surgery during Friday's pre-match press briefing. The Croatian did, though, offer updates on the fitness of Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison.

He said: "So we have this big three weeks after the game on Sunday. I don't know. Probably some part of the things with the squad maybe 10 days [after the break]. I don't know I'm not sure. We need to check but he [Kudus] is progressing very well.

"Already a little bit with the ball. Rodrigo [Bentancur] as well, Maddison as well. We hope the medical staff will make us some nice surprise in the next weeks which would be very important to have that."