Vicario Reunites with Italy Squad Post-Surgery for World Cup Play-offs

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has linked up with his Italy teammates at their training camp in preparation for the critical World Cup play-off matches beginning this Thursday. He is expected to remain with the squad throughout the international break, despite having undergone surgery just earlier this week.

Vicario was not initially named in Gennaro Gattuso’s 28-player selection for the upcoming World Cup play-offs. Italy's campaign kicks off with a semi-final against Northern Ireland on Thursday evening. If they triumph over the Green and White Army, they will then face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home on Tuesday, March 31, vying for a place in the final tournament.

Tottenham later confirmed that Vicario's exclusion from the Italy squad was due to a hernia problem. The club stated that the former Empoli stopper would undergo surgery during the international break to minimize its impact on his availability for club duties. Vicario has typically served as Italy's second-choice goalkeeper for several years and was not anticipated to start ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma for these vital play-off encounters.

Vicario successfully underwent his operation on Monday and shared an update with his followers via an Instagram story, simply stating: "See you soon." Remarkably, less than three days post-operation, Vicario has returned to Italy and joined his national team colleagues, symbolizing team spirit and solidarity.

Reports indicate that Vicario traveled via private flight to Italy on Wednesday evening. He plans to stay with the Italy squad until the conclusion of the international break, which for the Azzurri will end after Tuesday night's fixture – either a play-off final or a friendly, depending on the outcome of Thursday's match against Northern Ireland.

Following this, Vicario will head back to London to continue his rehabilitation. Tottenham anticipates the goalkeeper will be fit and available for selection again within approximately one month.