A severe knee injury will keep Tottenham captain Cristian Romero sidelined for the remainder of the season. The defender was forced to leave the pitch in tears during Sunday's 1-0 loss to Sunderland after colliding with Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky while attempting to defend the ball from Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.
Contrary to reports suggesting Romero may recover in time for the World Cup, his club season is now over. This latest setback deals a significant blow to relegation-threatened Spurs, who find themselves in the bottom three and two points from safety with only six league games remaining. New Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi faces another injury challenge, having recently lost Mohammed Kudus to a fresh quad injury. Romero's absence will be deeply felt, as De Zerbi had previously emphasized his importance to the team, labeling him a 'crucial player.' Kevin Danso is set to replace Romero for the remainder of the season.
Romero now faces a challenging race against time to regain fitness for Argentina's World Cup title defense in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with their opening game scheduled for June 17. The season-ending injury occurred when Brobbey, who was already on a yellow card, pushed Romero, sparking debate over whether the striker should have been ejected from the game. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher weighed in on the incident, stating that while the outcome was unfortunate, it did not constitute a serious foul. Ex-Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd offered a similar perspective, suggesting that Brobbey's push was an attempt to gain visibility of the ball.
Tottenham's struggles persist under De Zerbi, with the team's performance against Sunderland doing little to inspire confidence in their ability to avoid relegation. Sky Sports' Laura Hunter and Jamie Carragher have analyzed De Zerbi's first game in charge, with Carragher expressing his disbelief at Tottenham's potential downfall.