Tottenham Hotspur's captain, Cristian Romero, will not play again this season due to a knee injury sustained during Sunday's 1-0 loss to Sunderland. The Argentine defender was in tears as he left the field after colliding with Spurs' goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky while defending against Sunderland's Brian Brobbey. Reports suggesting Romero will recover in time for the World Cup are reportedly inaccurate, dealing a significant blow to Tottenham's relegation battle.
With only six league games remaining, Spurs are in the bottom three and two points from safety. Romero's absence is the latest injury setback for new manager Roberto De Zerbi, who had previously expected to rely on Mohammed Kudus before the forward suffered a fresh quad injury.
De Zerbi had labeled Romero a 'crucial player' after the Sunderland defeat, 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 set to replace Romero for the remainder of the season. Romero now faces a race against time to be fit for Argentina's World Cup title defense, with their opening game scheduled for June 17.
The injury occurred after a push by Brobbey, who was already on a yellow card, sparking debate over whether he should have been sent off. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher stated, 'We have to be careful not to 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.' Many of Tottenham's issues were self-diagnosed by De Zerbi during his first game in charge, with the team's performance in defeat doing little to strengthen the belief that they can climb out of the relegation zone. De Zerbi's appointment as one of the highest-paid head coaches in the division was a high-stakes gamble, but the same problems seem to persist. Sky Sports' Laura Hunter analyzed De Zerbi's first game in charge, while Jamie Carragher stated, 'I can't believe it. Tottenham look like they're going to go down.
The other teams have something going for them.' Tottenham's upcoming fixtures include Brighton at home, Wolves away, and Aston Villa away.