Spurs boss De Zerbi on Vicario’s return, Xavi Simons’ role and wanting players to be ‘brothers’ | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi says goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is expected to return to training with the group early next week.

Vicario recently underwent a hernia operation but the Spurs boss hopes to have him back available after this weekend’s game against Brighton.

“I think he can start with us, with the group, from Monday, Tuesday,” de Zerbi said.

De Zerbi has also backed Xavi Simons to make an impact in the remaining games of the season as Spurs look to secure Premier League survival.

Simons played just five minutes in the defeat to Sunderland, De Zerbi’s first game in charge, but insists he has a part to play most likely off the bench.

“Because he has a big personality on the pitch, and I want that he can play with his personality,” De Zerbi said when asked about the Dutch attacker.

“I don’t want to change anything of my players, especially in this part, in their character, personality. I think he can be important for us in this moment. I don’t know, 30 minutes, 20 minutes, but I have this opinion about him.”

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The Spurs boss also rejected the idea that his players are “too nice”, telling his squad that they need to play like “brothers” on the pitch.

“The key is to show what they can do on the pitch, and now it’s a tough situation because they don’t have so much confidence in themselves and they are not able to show all their qualities,” he said. “That’s it.

“Not because they are too nice. Because Romero is not too nice. Bentancur and Palhinha are not too nice. 

“Richarlison and Solanke, they fight on the pitch. No, they have to show what they are as a player, first of all.

“What I can ask them is to be more close between them on the pitch, to help to consider your teammate as a brother on the pitch because if you consider your teammate as a brother, you go to help him. If he’s wrong, you hug him, you kiss him and I think we need it in this moment, for sure.”

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