Cristian Romero will be forced to serve a four-match suspension following his sending off in Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United.
Spurs’ captain hit the headlines after unleashing a social-media attack on the board after his side’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City – but it was his erratic on-field behaviour that took centre stage at Old Trafford.
With the scoreline goalless in Manchester, Romero appeared to lose all control as he lunged in with his studs-up on Casemiro’s ankle in the 29th minute, leaving the Brazilian writhing around on the turf.
Referee Michael Oliver wasted little time in brandishing a red card to send Romero for an early bath, reducing the visitors to ten men with just over an hour remaining of the contest.
It was the sixth time that Romero has managed to get himself sent off in just 152 appearances for the north London outfit. It’s also the second time this season that he has been forced to serve a ban.
The Argentina international was suspended for four matches – and fined £50,000 – after he was sent off for a second bookable offence in Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool back in December.
His latest suspension is automatically extended from three to four matches due to it being his second sending off of the campaign.
Just nine minutes after Romero’s shocking challenge on Casemiro, United managed to capitalise on their one-man advantage as Bryan Mbeumo beat Guglielmo Vicario with a superb first-time finish to open the scoring.
Bruno Fernandes put United out of sight with a second late on at the Theatre of Dreams, with Michael Carrick making it four wins from four since replacing Ruben Amorim as interim manager.
Romero’s ban means Thomas Frank will be without the World Cup winner for Tottenham’s next four Premier League matches against Newcastle, bitter rivals Arsenal, Fulham and Crystal Palace.
Assuming he is fit, the 27-year-old centre-back could make his return in Spurs’ clash with champions Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 15.
‘In the blindside, he sees Casemiro coming in aggressively and you just know that Romero has got that switch,’ ex-England and Spurs goalkeeper Joe Hart said of Romero’s tackle in the TNT Sports studio at half-time.
‘He doesn’t need to do that, there’s no need to go in like he has.
‘He’s still going to win that ball almost with a side-foot and he just smashes him.
‘You fear for Casemiro at the time and he’s done well to recover from that.’
Owen Hargreaves suggested Romero could quite easily have won the ball without having to produce such a reckless challenge.
‘He knows [it was a poor challenge] and that’s why he apologised to Casemiro,’ the former United, Bayern Munich and England midfielder said.
‘He didn’t need to stay on him… he could have tackled him and come away, but he decided to stay on him.
‘Tottenham, up until that point, were quite even with Manchester United but there’s no need for that.’
On Romero’s record of six red cards in three-and-a-half seasons with Spurs, Hargreaves added: ‘It’s just too many.
‘There’s no need. He’s a good player, he likes a tackle, he enjoys it, but there’s no need.
‘When you’re getting red cards that are costing your team, there’s nothing positive about it whatsoever.’
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