Roberto De Zerbi’s first match in charge as Tottenham Hotspur manager ended in a 1-0 Premier League defeat to Sunderland.
The loss at the Stadium of Light on Sunday meant Tottenham now drop to 18th spot, two points behind 17th placed West Ham United.
De Zerbi also saw Cristian Romero suffer a setback in his first match with Spurs.
In the second half, the Argentina international’s keen collided with his own goalkeeper, Antonín Kinský.
He left the pitch crying, raising alarm bells, especially with the national team ahead of the World Cup in June. After the match, the new manager said he’s hoping the defender’s injury isn’t serious.
Tottenham star in pain
Journalist Veronica Brunati took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to now report that ‘pain persists’ for Cristian Romero.
The centre-back is ‘experiencing discomfort and instability’ in his knee and will undergo tests to find out the extent of the damage.
TyC Sports also report the ‘pain persists’ and the medical examinations should give more clarity about his setback.
This is to establish whether he has a medial collateral ligament injury or just a blow to his knee.
Another major Argentine newspaper, Olé, also state the Tottenham Hotspur star will have an MRI scan on Monday.
This is to find out whether he has suffered a serious setback [MCL injury] and if so, how long will the 27-year-old will be out of action.
It looks like three different reports have gathered information from the same source, most probably from someone close to Romero.
Anxious wait for Tottenham and Argentina
Cristian Romero is a starter for both the Premier League side and his country.
Roberto De Zerbi needs him to help the north London club stay in the top flight while he is a key player under Lionel Scaloni for Argentina. Therefore, both Spurs and the world champions will be anxiously waiting for the test results.
Last week, the player’s father, Victor, said Tottenham Hotspur could sell him for €43.4-60.6m.
He’s not short of options to change clubs in the next window. If Romero were to suffer a serious setback and miss the World Cup, it would impact his potential summer transfer.
Spurs’ remaining Premier League fixtures: