Roberto De Zerbi provides Vicario and Solanke injury updates ahead of trip to Chelsea

Roberto De Zerbi has given Tottenham Hotspur fans a dose of good news ahead of their showdown against Chelsea.

Addressing reporters at Hotspur Way on Monday, the Lilywhites head coach opened by confirming that Guglielmo Vicario, who went under the knife for hernia surgery back in March, is in contention to feature. De Zerbi said: "Vicario is available to play. I decide tomorrow."

When asked whether selecting his starting goalkeeper would prove a tough call, given Antonin Kinsky's impressive recent displays, he said, via football.london: "No, it is not difficult. It is easy. Vicario is number one, but we have to consider the physical condition, the momentum and everything.

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"I have a big relationship with Kinsky and Vicario as well, and there will be no problem," De Zerbi added. In less good news, however, the Italian then ruled out Dominic Solanke, who picked up a hamstring problem during the 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last month.

Earlier in May, following the 2-1 win against Aston Villa, De Zerbi told football.london that he was hopeful the striker would be fit to face Chelsea. However, the Spurs manager has since revised that timeline.

"Solanke is not good yet," said De Zerbi. "Not available. He feels something, and I don't want to take the risk for this game. We hope for Sunday, he can be available for one part of the game."

On Tuesday, Conor Gallagher will make his return to Stamford Bridge. The midfielder, who Tottenham recruited from Atletico Madrid in January for £35 ($46) million, devoted 18 years to Chelsea, honing his craft in the academy before cementing himself as a fixture in the Premier League and with the England national team.

Speaking about Gallagher, De Zerbi said: "From Conor, I expect the same performance he has been doing. Great player, great personality. He doesn't speak too much, but he speaks on the pitch with his work and his personality."

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Spurs remain unbeaten across four matches, claiming two victories and two draws. Addressing the team's growing confidence, De Zerbi said: "We didn't deserve to lose the first game at Sunderland, but we made eight points from the next four, and we deserved to get more points.

"But we can't remember how things were a month ago. To get one point is tough, because all teams fight on the pitch. I want to see the right spirit, character and courage on the pitch."

A victory over Chelsea would allow Tottenham to avoid the drop and secure their top-flight status for next season. Currently, with two fixtures remaining, the Lilywhites sit two points below West Ham in the relegation zone.

When asked whether the relegation battle had served as a wake-up call, De Zerbi said: "No, listen, one thing at a time. Now we need to play two games. We need to make other points to achieve our target and then have the right time to talk about the problems we have had, but it's not time right now and to lose energy over it."

While a draw at Stamford Bridge would likely be sufficient to secure Premier League survival for another season, it would not mathematically confirm their safety. Should Spurs only manage to pick up a single point in west London on Tuesday, they will be relegated if, on the final day of the season, they fall to Everton while the Hammers defeat Leeds United by a 13-goal margin.