Tottenham’s fight for Premier League survival has been dealt a major blow after captain Cristian Romero was ruled out for the rest of the season with injury.
The Argentina international sustained the problem during Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, when he was pushed by Brian Brobbey and collided with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky while attempting to defend. Romero was visibly distressed as he left the pitch midway through the second half and was replaced by Kevin Danso.
Initial fears of a significant injury were later confirmed by medical assessments, which revealed a high-grade partial tear to his medial cruciate ligament. The 27-year-old is expected to be sidelined for between five and eight weeks, effectively ending his involvement in Tottenham’s remaining fixtures.
His absence comes at a critical stage of the campaign, with Spurs sitting 18th in the table and two points adrift of safety with only six matches left to play. Newly appointed head coach Roberto De Zerbi must now navigate the run-in without one of his most influential players, having already described Romero as a “crucial” figure with a strong presence in the squad.
The defensive setback compounds Tottenham’s growing injury concerns, leaving Danso likely to step into a starting role for the remainder of the season as the club battles to avoid relegation.
While Romero’s club campaign is over, attention will now turn to his recovery timeline ahead of the upcoming World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With Argentina set to begin their title defence on June 17, there remains cautious optimism he could regain fitness in time, although his participation is far from guaranteed.
