Tottenham Hotspur manager Igor Tudor is reportedly preparing to leave out goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario for the clash with Crystal Palace as he searches for his first win in the Premier League. Instead, the Croatian coach is expected to hand a rare opportunity to backup shot-stopper Antonin Kinsky.
Vicario has been under heavy scrutiny as Spurs drift closer to the relegation battle. One of his mistakes from a free-kick situation was even highlighted on the Premier League’s official social media account before being deleted after the club reportedly complained.
Kinsky, meanwhile, has not featured in a competitive match since October. Despite the long absence, he could now be trusted to start for a Tottenham side urgently seeking a victory, particularly after West Ham United and Nottingham Forest closed the gap to just a single point, according to The Sun.
Vicario has played every minute of Tottenham’s league campaign this season but has conceded at least two goals in each of his last eight league outings. Kinsky, by contrast, made six appearances in the top flight last season.
The 22-year-old goalkeeper is expected to face immediate pressure if selected, with Spurs still searching for their first league win since early December. So far in the 2025/26 season, he has only appeared in the EFL Cup against Doncaster Rovers and Newcastle United.
Tudor’s likely decision would also temporarily shield Vicario from the intense criticism he has faced recently. The Italian goalkeeper has endured a difficult campaign, making several errors both with his hands and feet, with his misplaced free-kick becoming the latest moment to draw attention online.
Tottenham were reportedly unhappy that such criticism was posted by an official league account, believing that kind of mockery should not come from the competition itself. Tudor addressed the situation during his press conference.
“I’m sure they realise the mistake they made and it won’t happen again,” Tudor said. “It’s not nice. Vicario is a fantastic person and a fantastic player. I spoke with him and he’s fine. Social media is part of the job now.
“It’s not good, but we live in an era where players receive hundreds of pieces of information every day. They must stay strong and learn to deal with it. When I was a player, things were different. You could live a normal life.
“Now players live two lives — one in the real world and another on their phones — and that can be difficult, especially for young players. They need to stay aware and try to focus as much as possible on the real world.”
