Tottenham Captain Cristian Romero Ruled Out for the Season

Tottenham Hotspur's captain, Cristian Romero, will not play again this season due to a knee injury. The Argentine defender was in tears as he left the field during Sunday's 1-0 loss to Sunderland, following a collision 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 now 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 expected to rely on Mohammed Kudus, but the forward suffered a fresh quad injury. De Zerbi will now have to manage without Romero, whom he considers a "crucial player." 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 achieve our goal." Kevin Danso is likely to replace Romero for the remainder of the season, having come on for him in the defeat at Sunderland. Romero faces a challenge to be fit in time for Argentina's World Cup title defense in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with their opening game on June 17. The injury occurred after a push by Brobbey, who was already on a yellow card, raising 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. Appointing De Zerbi as one of the highest-paid head coaches in the division at this point in the campaign was a high-stakes gamble. The same problems seem to persist, regardless of the manager. 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." Tottenham's upcoming fixtures include Brighton at home, Wolves away, and Aston Villa away.