Ange Postecoglou will be counting down the days until the end of November after yet more setbacks in the month. Rewind the clock back to November 2023 and things started to quickly unravel for the north London club.
Making such an impressive start to the campaign with eight wins from their first ten league games and the Australian picking up three consecutive Premier League manager of the month awards as a result, Spurs unfortunately started to obtain injuries and suspensions like they were going out of fashion. Twelve months on and November has once again proved to be a troublesome month.
Already losing Micky van de Ven and Wilson Odobert to injury, Cristian Romero, Richarlison and now Guglielmo Vicario have joined their teammates in the treatment room. Spurs also have to do without Rodrigo Bentancur for their next six domestic fixtures after the midfielder was handed a seven-match ban by the FA following his comments regarding teammate Son Heung-min back in the summer.
The latest injury setback involving Vicario is one nobody expected when the news broke late on Monday evening. Spurs confirmed in a statement that the Italian had undergone surgery for a fracture of his right ankle that he sustained in the 4-0 win over Manchester City.
Taking to his Instagram account after the news, Vicario said: "Sometimes football gives you its highs, and sometimes it challenges you in ways you don’t expect. I played 60 minutes at the Etihad with a broken bone in my ankle, giving absolutely everything I had for the team. Unfortunately there was no way around this one. I needed surgery.
"I’m disappointed I won’t be able to help the team for a while. A massive thank you to the doctors and the staff. The operation went well, and from tomorrow I’ll be working hard to come back stronger, fitter, and ready to give my all for you again. Thank you to the Spurs fans for all the love."
Vicario's absence for a period of time will result in deputy goalkeeper Fraser Forster taking his place between the sticks. The experienced shot-stopper already has three appearances to his name this season after playing in the Europa League fixtures against AZ Alkmaar and Galatasaray as well as the Carabao Cup tie at Coventry City.
Forster is certainly no stranger to getting a run of games in goal for Tottenham after becoming a regular towards the end of the 2022/23 season during Hugo Lloris' absence. The former Celtic man made 20 appearances over the course of that season, including in the Champions League round of 16 double-header against AC Milan.
As Postecoglou has already demonstrated this season that he will change things up in goal to hand Forster some much-needed pitch time, Vicario's absence could possibly open up the door for Brandon Austin to make his senior debut for the club. The academy graduate has provided cover for the likes of Vicario, Forster and Lloris in recent seasons but there has never been an opportunity for him to start in a competitive game for the Lilywhites.
Austin, who has only played 19 senior games in his career to date for Danish side Viborg and Orlando City of the MLS, did get some minutes in the tank during the post-season friendly against Newcastle United in Melbourne back in May and also in a handful of the team's summer friendlies. Although he is still to make his senior bow for Tottenham, the 25-year-old penned a new five-year contract with the club back in May, thus hinting he could potentially become the club's long-term No.2 due to the length of his new deal.
Due to the sheer amount of games coming up for Tottenham in December with nine on the horizon, Austin's long wait to play for Tottenham may finally come to an end. As has been the case in two of Tottenham's four Europa League games so far, Postecoglou could elect to switch things up in goal in the Europa League.
That in turn may see Austin, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, start the away game at Rangers on Thursday, December 12 or possibly even this Thursday's showdown against Roma if Forster, as expected, is to get a sustained run in the team with Vicario missing. The Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Manchester United is another fixture where Postecoglou could freshen things up, although you would expect he goes near enough full strength with a spot in the semi-finals up for grabs.
With Vicario now set for a period in the Tottenham treatment room at Hotspur Way, Austin has his best opportunity yet of playing for the Spurs first team if Postecoglou is to rotate between the sticks in the league and cup competitions. Whether he is to finally step on to the field and take his place in goal for Tottenham will all become clear in the weeks ahead.