Tottenham Captain Cristian Romero Ruled Out for the Season

Tottenham Hotspur's captain, Cristian Romero, will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury. The defender was substituted during Sunday's 1-0 loss to Sunderland after colliding with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky while defending against striker Brian Brobbey. Reports suggesting Romero will recover in time for the World Cup are not entirely accurate, but his club season is over. Romero's injury is a significant blow to relegation-threatened Spurs, who are in the bottom three and two points from safety with only six league games remaining. New manager Roberto De Zerbi had labeled Romero a 'crucial player' after the defeat at the Stadium of Light. When asked about Romero's injury, De Zerbi said, 'I hope for us it's not too important a problem because he's a crucial player for us. He's a good guy, good player, top player, big personality, and we need him to finish this season and to achieve our goal.' Kevin Danso is likely to replace Romero for the remainder of the season after coming on for him in the defeat at Sunderland. Romero now faces a race to be fit for the World Cup, where Argentina will defend their title in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The injury occurred after a push by Brobbey, who was already on a yellow card, leading to questions about whether the striker should have been sent off. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher said, 'We have to be careful we don't get seduced by the outcome - the injury. If the goalkeeper's not there, a little nudge, are you going to send him off for a second yellow card? The answer is most certainly no.' Ex-Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd added, 'Romero is not in control of the ball and is trying to block Brobbey from getting it. At some point, Brobbey can't see the ball anymore because he's so close to Romero. It's almost like he's pushed him to one side to see it. That's the kind of incident that comes because defenders are trying to shield the ball.' Many of Tottenham's issues were self-diagnosed by Roberto De Zerbi during his first game in charge. Spurs had fallen into the bottom three before traveling to Sunderland, and their performance in defeat did nothing to strengthen the belief that they can climb out of it. Appointing De Zerbi as one of the highest-paid head coaches in the division at this juncture of an already calamitous campaign was a high-stakes gamble. Sky Sports' Laura Hunter analyzed De Zerbi's first game in charge. Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher said, 'I can't believe it. Tottenham look like they're going to go down. The other teams have something going for them. You look at fixtures, you think that's a good game for Tottenham. But they're awful. Tottenham's a good game for them. Wolves are bottom of the league. Do you think Tottenham will go there and win? No chance.'