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, when he collided with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky while attempting to defend the ball from striker Brian Brobbey.
Romero was substituted out of the game in tears. Reports suggesting he will recover in time for the World Cup are deemed inaccurate, and his club season is now over. Romero's absence is a significant blow to relegation-threatened Spurs, who are currently in the bottom three and two points from safety with only six league games left to play. This is another injury setback for new manager Roberto De Zerbi, who had expected to rely on Mohammed Kudus, only for the forward to suffer a fresh quad injury.
De Zerbi had previously labeled Romero a 'crucial player' after the loss at the Stadium of Light. When asked about Romero's injury, De Zerbi expressed his hope that it wouldn't be a significant problem, given Romero's importance to the team. Kevin Danso is likely 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 challenge 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 season-ending injury occurred when Brobbey, who was already on a yellow card, pushed Romero, leading to questions about whether the striker should have been sent off. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher noted that the outcome of the incident should not influence the decision, stating that the foul was not serious enough to warrant a second yellow card. Former Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd added that Romero was trying to block Brobbey from getting the ball and that the push was a result of Brobbey trying to get around him.
Tottenham's performance in the loss to Sunderland did little to alleviate concerns about their ability to avoid relegation. Manager Roberto De Zerbi identified many of the team's issues during his first game in charge, but the same problems persist. Sky Sports' Laura Hunter analyzed De Zerbi's first game, while Jamie Carragher expressed his belief that Tottenham is likely to be relegated, citing their poor performance and tough upcoming fixtures.