Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is out of Italy's 28Man squad for the international break.
He suffered an injury just hours before Gennaro Gattuso announced his selection.
Gattuso confirmed the decision today and immediately recalled Alex Meret, who returned after being sidelined with injury at the start of the season.
Goalkeeping changed due to late injury
tuttomerkatoweb It is reported that Vicario will undergo a trial with Tottenham in the coming hours. As a result, Gattuso decided not to involve him and called up Meret instead.
Doctors have not yet clarified the nature of the injury, and further assessment will determine how long Vicario could be sidelined.
Italy's goalkeeper hierarchy confirmed
Gianluigi Donnarumma will lead Italy's goalkeeping group as first choice. Marco Carneschi is ranked as the primary backup, Elia Caprile plays the number-three role, and Meret completes the four-man unit.
Concerns for Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham will now assess Vicario to establish the severity of the problem, and the club are hopeful the 29-year-old will avoid a long absence amid an ongoing investigation into the goalkeeping situation.
If Vicario misses time, Antonin Kinski could get another chance to impress after his tough performance against Atletico Madrid.
Domestic and international bets ahead
Tottenham face Nottingham Forest in a relegation six-pointer this weekend, which adds urgency to the situation.
Meanwhile, Italy will turn their attention to World Cup qualification and gather in Coverciano ahead of the decisive week.
World Cup qualification pressure
Italy will host Northern Ireland in their World Cup play-off semi-final in Bergamo on Thursday, March 26, before a possible final against Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 31.
Although Vicario did not play a starting role, his absence still represented a blow, as it disrupted Gattuso's carefully balanced team at a crucial moment.
Stability is a priority for Italy
With Italy only two matches away from a World Cup berth, the team needs stability, and late changes complicate preparations.
For Tottenham, the focus now turns to Vicario's recovery timeline and whether the club can rejoin him as soon as possible.
