Tottenham Hotspur are going to have to explore all options now that they prepare for a time without unavailable first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
After the high of beating Manchester City 4-0 on their own turf, Spurs fans were brought crashing back down to earth by the news of Vicario's ankle surgery. The goalkeeper is set to face an underdetermined amount of time on the sidelines.
"We can confirm that Guglielmo Vicario has today undergone surgery for a fracture of his right ankle. Guglielmo will be assessed by our medical staff to determine when he can return to training. We're all behind you, Vic," read the accompanying club statement.
The fixture list gives Spurs little wriggle room to fix their problems. Taking on AS Roma tomorrow - five days after travelling to Manchester - leaves Ange Postecoglou with the likely option of promoting 36-year-old Fraser Forster for the time being.
With 148 career Premier League appearances - 14 of those for Spurs - to his name, he is the most senior choice. 25-year-old Brandon Austin and 26-year-old Alfie Whiteman have both never played in the competition.
Another possibility is utilising the free agent market. Players not currently contracted to a club are able to join at any time, unrestricted by the transfer window.
And falling into this bracket is Loris Karius. Formerly of Liverpool, famous for his mishaps in the 2017/18 Champions League final against Real Madrid, and also used as back-up at Newcastle United in recent years, the 31-year-old is without a club since leaving Tyneside this summer.
In a fresh interview with Sport Bible, the goalkeeper explains how he is currently living in Italy, training on his own and exploring other passions in fashion and DJ-ing.
"You never know," he answered, when asked what he'd like to be doing in 12 months. "A goalkeeper could get injured tomorrow and I get a call-up. Maybe in a week, I'll be in goal again. You never know. If that doesn't happen, I will probably still be in Italy, spending a lot of time with my family and progressing the music."
The German says he left Newcastle over a lack of game time during Nick Pope's season-long injury, and has reportedly rejected offers from across the globe to resume playing before the season started. Ultimately, he wants assurances over game time.
"I was hoping to get a good opportunity in the summer, where I could have a shot at playing again," he said. "I could still get that somewhere else, but I still have expectations of which level I want to play. I have to be honest with myself and not go somewhere I may not feel comfortable.
"I chose not to go to Saudi Arabia, for example. To be that far away from my family would have been difficult. I've spoken to teams but in the end, it didn't work out. There were advanced talks with a team in Italy but that didn't happen, which was sad at the time.
"It hasn't been easy but I can honestly say that I've been working as hard as I can over the past few years. I've been putting a lot of work in behind the scenes.
"I've been a top team player but when it comes to two or three years where you've barely played, it gets really frustrating. You're thinking, 'What else can I actually do?' I still feel like I have a lot of quality."
With a move, Spurs could solve their current crisis, offer Karius what he desires at the highest level and maybe discover a long-term succession plan for Forster, whose contract expires at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.