Tottenham Hotspur's captain, Cristian Romero, will be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury. The Argentine defender suffered the injury during Sunday's 1-0 loss to Sunderland, where he collided with Tottenham's goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky, while attempting to defend the ball from Sunderland's striker, Brian Brobbey. Reports suggesting Romero will recover in time for the World Cup are not entirely accurate, but his club season has come to a premature end. Romero's absence is a significant blow to relegation-threatened Tottenham, who are currently in the bottom three and two points away from safety with only six league games remaining.
This injury adds to the list of concerns for new manager Roberto De Zerbi, who had previously expressed his reliance on Mohammed Kudus, only for the forward to suffer a fresh quad injury. De Zerbi had labeled Romero a 'crucial player' after the loss at the Stadium of Light, emphasizing the importance of his role in the team. Kevin Danso is expected to replace Romero for the remainder of the season, having come on as a substitute for him during the Sunderland game. Romero now faces a challenging task to regain fitness in time for Argentina's World Cup title defense in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with their opening game scheduled for June 17.
The injury occurred when Brobbey, who was already on a yellow card, pushed Romero, raising questions about whether the striker should have been sent off. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher noted that while the outcome was unfortunate, the foul itself was not severe enough to warrant a red card.
Ex-Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd added that Romero was attempting to block Brobbey from getting the ball and the push was a result of Brobbey trying to gain visibility. Tottenham's performance under De Zerbi has done little to alleviate concerns about their ability to escape relegation, with many of their issues persisting despite the change in management. De Zerbi's appointment as one of the highest-paid head coaches in the division has been seen as a high-stakes gamble, and the team's continued struggles have led to doubts 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 belief that Tottenham are likely to be relegated, citing their poor performance and difficult upcoming fixtures.