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 defeat at Sunderland. The injury occurred when Romero collided with Spurs' 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 deemed inaccurate, and his club season is now over.
Romero's absence 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 remaining. The injury adds to the challenges faced by new manager Roberto De Zerbi, who had previously expressed his reliance on Romero, describing him as a 'crucial player.' With Romero out, Kevin Danso is likely to replace him for the remainder of the season. Romero now faces a race against time to regain fitness for Argentina's World Cup title defense in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with their first game scheduled for June 17.
The incident leading to Romero's injury has raised questions about whether Brobbey should have been sent off, given that he was already on a yellow card. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher believes the decision not to send Brobbey off was correct, stating that the collision was not a serious foul.
Ex-Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd also weighed in, suggesting that Brobbey's push on Romero was a result of the defender trying to shield the ball. Tottenham's performance in the defeat has done little to alleviate concerns about their ability to climb out of the relegation zone, with many of their issues persisting despite the change in management.