Tottenham Hotspur’s season is already slipping into a fight for survival, and the situation may now have taken another damaging turn with Cristian Romero’s injury.
Spurs sit in the relegation zone and are struggling for momentum. The defeat to Sunderland only added to that pressure. More importantly, it may have cost them their defensive leader at a critical stage of the campaign.
Romero has been central to Tottenham both on and off the pitch. He wears the armband and remains one of the few consistent performers in a difficult season. Losing him now would leave a major gap in a side already short on confidence and stability.
The immediate concern became clear during the match. The Argentine defender was pushed by Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey and collided heavily with his own goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky, after trying to shield the ball under pressure.
He attempted to continue but soon signalled to come off. What followed raised even more alarm – Romero left the pitch in visible pain and in tears.
Injury concern grows after emotional exit
At the time, reporting in Argentina suggested real uncertainty. There were fears of a ligament issue in the knee, with tests needed to determine the severity. As we covered earlier, his pain persists.
Now, a clearer timeline is starting to emerge from Argentina after his MRI scan this morning, as revealed earlier by Olé.
Journalist Martin Arevalo reports that Cristian Romero is expected to be out for between five and eight weeks with a knee injury. Another local journalist, Fernando Czyz, claims it is a grade 1 injury to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
While that is still subject to official confirmation from Tottenham, it gives a much stronger indication of the scale of the problem.
For Spurs, even the lower end of that estimate would be damaging. The run-in is already under pressure, and Romero’s absence would remove leadership, aggression and defensive organisation from the side.
What this means for Tottenham
Cristian Romero has been one of Tottenham’s most reliable defenders this season, even while being heavily linked with a summer exit. Without him, Tottenham are likely to turn to less experienced or less consistent options. That could further expose a defence that has already struggled throughout the campaign.
Of course there is also a wider context to consider. Romero’s reaction when leaving the pitch was not only about the injury itself. It came with Tottenham behind in the match and deep in a poor run of form. The emotional weight of the moment was clear.
From an Argentina perspective, the update has been framed more positively, with the expectation that one of their key players will recover in time for the World Cup. But for Tottenham, however, the focus is immediate.
They need results now. And they may have to chase them without their captain and defensive cornerstone for a significant stretch of the season.
What happens next
Tottenham are yet to provide a full medical update. That will be key in confirming the timeline and whether the five to eight week estimate holds.
In the meantime, the club must prepare for a period without Romero. Squad depth, defensive structure and leadership will all be tested.
At a stage of the season where every point matters, losing a player of his profile could shape Tottenham’s fate.