Vicario delighted with clean sheet after 11 weeks injured: ‘Two screws in the ankle’ | OneFootball

Guglielmo Vicario said that he ‘can’t explain’ how much he’s missed playing for Tottenham during his 11-week injury lay-off, but was delighted to pick up a clean sheet against Manchester United in his first game back for Tottenham over the weekend.

An injury-hit Spurs side welcomed Vicario and vice-captain James Maddison back into the starting XI for the 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday. Italy international Destiny Udogie also returned to the substitutes’ bench following his recent hamstring injury.

Vicario had not featured for Tottenham since fracturing his ankle during a 4-0 win over Manchester City back in November. He revealed at the time that he had played for around an hour with a broken bone in his foot.

The former Empoli stopper required surgery on his ankle, and has had two screws fitted in order to be able to play, he revealed in a post-match interview.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario of Tottenham (L) reacts to an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in Manchester, Britain, 23 November 2024. EPA-EFE/ADAM VAUGHAN EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

Vicario: ‘A new debut, I’m very happy to help the team’

“After three months and with two screws in the ankle, maybe you feel, I don’t know if you feel ready. It’s been, I can say, another debut. After a big injury, it’s like a new debut, so I’m very happy to help the team,” he said.

“It has been 11 tough weeks of work after the surgery to deal with this set-back. It was the first big injury of my career, so just believing in the hard work.”

Vicario was also given the captain’s armband for the final stages of the game after Maddison was taken off.

Vicario also thanked his supporters with a message on his Instagram profile after full-time, which read: “I can’t explain how much I’ve missed you. What a feeling guys.”