Ange Postecoglou has commented on the possibility of Tottenham Hotspur signing a free agent to fill the void left by injured goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Spurs confirmed on Monday that the 28-year-old has undergone surgery on an ankle fracture sustained in last weekend's shock 4-0 win over Manchester City, where he completed the full 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet despite picking up his injury in the first half.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Tottenham's Europa League home tie with Roma on Thursday, Postecoglou was reluctant to put a timescale on Vicario's recovery, but he acknowledged that the Italian would be out for "months" rather than weeks.
"I guess a bit of a shock first of all because we saw he picked up an injury during the game and he was sore at half-time, but there was no doubt about him continuing," said Postecoglou
"Post-game, again he was sore but you go, 'he's played 60 minutes, we'll tape him up and go again'. Externally now people realise it is testament to him as a person because he's as tough as nails and the fact he played 60 minutes with a fractured ankle is quite outstanding.
"Once the shock wears off, you have to process he'll be missing for a while but knowing him, he'll push the limits of how long that is and knowing him you'll get daily updates on his Instagram. It's a blow but we've dealt with setbacks before and we'll deal with this one."
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Will Spurs look to sign new goalkeeper to replace Vicario?
Tottenham's second-choice goalkeeper Fraser Forster - who has started just three games this season (one in the EFL Cup and two in the Europa League) - is set to replace Vicario for the time being.
Academy graduates Alfie Whiteman and Brandon Austin are also at Postecoglou's disposal, but both goalkeepers are yet to make their senior debut for the North Londoners.
Spurs have been tipped to delve into the January transfer market to sign a new goalkeeper, with a recent report claiming that they may consider a move for either Burnley's James Trafford or Sunderland's Anthony Patterson.
Meanwhile, Postecoglou was asked about the possibility of Tottenham signing a free agent in the absence of Vicario, but the Australian said: "That's not going to happen. That's why we've got a squad of players here. I don't think us signing a free agent now is going to help us.
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Forster to fill void left by Vicario between the sticks?
"Fraser, I've known for a long time and he's such a strong character within the group and ready to play. He's already played in the Carabao Cup and a couple of European games. That's the reason we've played him and why he's in the squad. He's ready to go.
"Brandon (Austin) is improving all the time and Alfie (Whiteman) has been at the club for a while. We're happy with what we've got."
Postecoglou added: "January, we're always working towards the next window of what the best scenario is for us, and a lot of that will depend on where we're at from the squad perspective and the game's perspective. Just this injury doesn't change any plans for January."
Forster has been backed by teammate Destiny Udogie to step up in Vicario's absence, telling reporters: "Fraser is a leader as well. He's been playing football for a while, so he is going to help us a lot and show his quality every game."
The 36-year-old shot-stopper is expected to start for Spurs against Roma, with Postecoglou's side seeking to cement their place in the top eight of the 36-team Europa League table; they currently sit seventh and just three points behind Lazio at the summit.
