Since August 2021, when Tottenham Hotspur forked out £42.5m to sign Cristian Romero from Atalanta, the defender has missed 74 games for club and country due to injury.
Cristian Romero may not leave Tottenham Hotspur after all. The 28-year-old defender, who’s faced an uncertain future in north London for a while now, aggravated a knee injury during Argentina’s win over Austria at the AT&T Stadium in Texas on Monday night.
Romero missed the last six Premier League games of the season, but he was deemed fit enough to join La Albiceleste at the World Cup. He started each of the two opening group stage clashes, playing 80 minutes in the 3-0 victory against Algeria but just 57 minutes in the 2-0 win over Ralf Rangnick’s side.
The Spurs captain managed no more than an hour against Austria, and he was replaced by Nicolas Otamendi. As it stands, the severity of the problem remains unclear, with Romero still due to undergo further examination, but he may not feature for Argentina again until the knockout stages of the tournament.
Lionel Scaloni’s side, who have already qualified for the round of 32, will return to the AT&T Stadium on Sunday evening to face Jordan, dropping the curtain on the group stages. Speaking to reporters on Monday night, the Argentina boss confirmed that Romero had aggravated an injury.
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“We don’t know the extent of Cuti Romero’s issue; it’s something he’s been dealing with for a while now,” said Scaloni. “We hope it’s nothing serious.
“Not only because he’s important, even though he can be replaced, but it’s always important to have everyone available. He’ll undergo tests tomorrow or the day after.”
Romero later downplayed the injury, claiming he’ll be ready to face Jordan. As quoted by Fabrizio Romano, he said: “I knew this could happen to me.
“I had a little issue there, I felt it again, but in three or four days I’ll be fine again, so that’s that. It’s nothing serious. Keep the head up, and I’ll come back stronger than before.”
Romero has been nursing the knee injury for a while now. At the end of last season, the Tottenham captain, who had been receiving treatment in Argentina, wasn’t set to attend the relegation showdown against Everton until the very last minute, following backlash from supporters.
He was heavily scrutinised when it appeared that he would miss the final game of the campaign and instead watch his boyhood club, Belgrano, face River Plate in the Primera Division final on the same day. In the end, Romero returned to north London to watch the game that sealed top-flight status.
Speaking to football.london at the time, the Argentine’s agent, Ciro Palermo, set the record straight. He said: “Any suggestion that the trip was made for the purpose of attending football matches is entirely inaccurate.
“More than that, it is a completely fabricated narrative being circulated by people who are unaware of the facts and have no knowledge of the rehabilitation plan that has been in place for weeks.
“Cristian’s focus is, and has always been, on recovering as strongly as possible, preparing for the World Cup, and supporting Tottenham Hotspur in every way he can.
“His commitment to the club, his team-mates and the supporters has been evident throughout his time at Tottenham and remains unchanged.”
A week or so prior, Roberto De Zerbi couldn’t guarantee that Romero would still be at the club next season. Speaking to reporters ahead of the defeat at Stamford Bridge, the Spurs boss said: “First of all now the focus is Chelsea.
“Second point, Romero is a great player, and the most important is the behaviour and how much the player wants to stay in this club. We are going to take all the decisions after this season and after the Everton game.”
Although Romero has been heavily linked with a move away from Tottenham, his latest setback could deter potential suitors from making a move this summer. Since Spurs signed the Argentine from Atalanta for £42.5m in August 2021, he’s missed 364 days and 74 games for club and country due to injury…
