Credit: Imago

Richie Mills

Thu 2 April 2026 21:10, UK

Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi is short of goalkeeping options, with Antonin Kinsky potentially set to be recalled after his Champions League nightmare.

Kinsky has not played for Tottenham since being hooked after just 17 minutes in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid on 10 March.

Then interim boss Igor Tudor watched as three goals flashed by the back-up stopper in a 5-2 loss, with the Croatian turning to Guglielmo Vicario to soften the blow for the remainder of the contest.

Other than that sorry outing, Kinsky’s two other appearances this season came in the Carabao Cup, way back in September and October, respectively.

Now that Tottenham’s number one Vicario is recovering from hernia surgery, which will sideline him for a few weeks, De Zerbi may have to turn to a wounded Kinsky against Sunderland on 12 April.

Antonin Kinsky’s worrying lack of game time

When there is such a small sample size, it is difficult to gauge how well or not Kinsky may fare if he starts in Tottenham’s next game.

According to Sofascore, in his two Carabao Cup games this term, he averaged 1.5 saves per 90 minutes, had a passing accuracy of 68 per cent, kept one clean sheet, and had a 6.85 rating.

Nothing too shabby but nothing spectacular, either.

But in a crunch Champions League tie, that rating fell to 4.9 as he made two errors that led to a goal in his brief and wretched outing.

Vicario hasn’t fared much better this season, with his goals prevented stat (-5.2) the worst among Premier League goalkeepers. Against Liverpool, for instance, he was poor in between the sticks.

In Kinsky’s 11 league games last season, that stat was down at -0.5 as he kept one clean sheet. Vicario has kept seven in 31 matches this term.

But Kinsky’s numbers from a season ago shouldn’t have any bearing on what has happened this campaign. Brandon Austin is third choice but has yet to play a single minute in 2025-26.

If Tottenham do stay up, a new keeper may be a must. But for now, De Zerbi will have to repair Kinsky’s confidence as they prepare for the run-in.

Where will Tottenham’s wins come from?

As De Zerbi prepares for his first game in charge at Tottenham, the 46-year-old has a huge task on his hands.

Tottenham sit 17th in the Premier League, just one point above West Ham, who make up the final relegation spot.

Spurs haven’t won in the Premier League since 28 December, but De Zerbi may be the right man to lead Tottenham to safety.

However, their remaining fixtures are not easy on paper. Tough tests with Champions League-chasing Aston Villa and Chelsea lie ahead.

While Sunderland, Brighton, and Everton are aiming to qualify for Europe, too. Leeds United and Wolves may present more winnable games, but Tottenham may need another three points on top of that or so to survive.