Tottenham need Cristian Romero now more than ever so it's vital the club captain is on his best behaviour for the clash against Nottingham Forest
There's a real possibility Cristian Romero could miss at least two Tottenham fixtures this season as the club bid to avoid an embarrassing relegation from the Premier League.
Spurs currently sit one point above the bottom three and face Nottingham Forest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. Igor Tudor has described the fixture as a “four-point game” with Vitor Pereira's side just one place below the Lilywhites.
"There are a lot of points to play for. Of course, it’s an important game because we are together there, so let’s say not six, but four," Tudor said on Friday.
“It’s not a final. Maybe not three points, a four-point game but still a lot of points (to go). Especially when we are so close, it’s important, but it will not decide who will (stay up).”
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With big players such as Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur out due to injury, Spurs need as many of their fit players as possible to step up. One of those is captain Romero, who has had an up and down season.
The Argentina international has already missed six Premier League games this season due to suspension and it's vital for Spurs' chances of staying in England's top division that he plays in as many of the club's remaining eight fixtures as possible. He will need to be careful during the game against Forest, then.
As per Premier League rules, should a player pick up 10 yellow cards in their first 32 games, they will receive a two-game suspension. Tottenham have played 30 league games and Romero has picked up eight yellow cards.
That means, should the 27-year-old pick up yellow cards in Spurs' next two games against Nottingham Forest and Sunderland, he would miss the games against Brighton and Wolves. In order for that not to happen, all Romero must do is avoid being cautioned on Sunday afternoon against Forest.
That is perhaps easier said than done but Romero must try to ensure he is available as much as possible between now and the end of the campaign. If he does manage to avoid being handed a yellow card on Sunday, it would be an almighty boost as the threat of a two-game suspension would be wiped.
Interim head coach Tudor believes the players are responding to his methods and hopes to build on the last two encouraging displays against Liverpool and Atletico Madrid. “No one can be in a relegation fight and enjoy. We can change this word enjoyment into something different,” Tudor said.
“Mental sharpness rises and gets bigger, that was the key. We are sleeping less on the pitch. That’s the main thing. We react before, so for me this is crucial. Now we react earlier. On what happened on the pitch, we are not always, ‘what happened?’ And then we react after. Now we react before things happen.
“Not in the way how I would like but much better. This mental sharpness, awareness of dangerous situations, this is coming up and that’s why we are better. I saw good energy. I saw good numbers. They told me the last games in the top four or five of all season for high intensity runs and this stuff so I think we are progressing.”