Tottenham Hotspur's captain, Cristian Romero, will be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury sustained during the team's 1-0 loss to Sunderland on Sunday. The injury occurred when Romero collided with Tottenham's goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky, while attempting to defend the ball from Sunderland's striker, Brian Brobbey.
Reports suggesting that Romero will recover in time for the World Cup are not entirely accurate, but his club season is now over. Romero's absence is a significant setback for Tottenham, who are struggling with relegation and currently sit in the bottom three of the league, two points from safety with only six games left to play. The injury is the latest challenge for new manager Roberto De Zerbi, who had previously expressed his reliance on Romero, describing him as a 'crucial player' for the team. De Zerbi had also expected to count on Mohammed Kudus, but the forward recently suffered a quad injury.
With Romero out, Kevin Danso is likely to take his place for the remainder of the season. Romero now faces a race against time to regain fitness for Argentina's World Cup title defense, which begins on June 17. The injury has sparked debate over whether Brobbey should have been sent off for the push that led to the collision. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher argued that the incident did not warrant a red card, stating that the outcome of the play should not influence the decision.
Ex-Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd noted that Romero was attempting to shield the ball and that Brobbey's push was an attempt to gain visibility. 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. The appointment of De Zerbi as one of the highest-paid head coaches in the division has been seen as a high-stakes gamble, and the team's ongoing issues have led to concerns about their ability to climb out of the bottom three.
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 relegation, stating that the team looks unlikely to win against other struggling teams like Wolves.