Tottenham Hotspur's captain, Cristian Romero, will be sidelined for the remainder of the season after sustaining a knee injury. The Argentine defender was forced to leave the pitch in tears during Sunday's 1-0 loss to Sunderland, following a collision with Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky while attempting to defend the ball from Sunderland's Brian Brobbey. Although reports suggest Romero may recover in time for the World Cup, his club season is now over.
Romero's injury is a significant blow to relegation-threatened Tottenham, who are currently in the bottom three and two points from safety with only six league games left to play. The injury is the latest setback for new Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi, who had previously expressed his reliance on Mohammed Kudus before the forward suffered a fresh quad injury. De Zerbi had labeled Romero a 'crucial player' after the loss at the Stadium of Light, stating, '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 expected to replace Romero for the remainder of the season, having come on for him in the defeat at Sunderland. Romero's injury has raised questions about 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 was not a serious foul, while ex-Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd suggested that Brobbey's push was a result of Romero trying to shield the ball. Tottenham's struggles persist under De Zerbi, with the team's performance in defeat doing little to strengthen the belief that they can climb out of the relegation zone. Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher expressed his doubts about Tottenham's chances of survival, stating, 'I can't believe it.
Tottenham look like they're going to go down.'