Tottenham Hotspur’s defensive woes continue as star center-back Cristian Romero is reportedly sidelined for six weeks with a muscle injury.
The news comes as a huge blow to Ange Postecoglou’s side, already grappling with a growing list of absentees.
Romero sustained the injury early in Tottenham’s thrilling but heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Chelsea. The Argentine, who had just returned from a toe injury, was forced off after only 15 minutes following an awkward backheel attempt.
His exit marked the beginning of a dramatic collapse for Spurs, who squandered a 2-0 lead to suffer their second consecutive Premier League defeat.
Postecoglou expressed concern about Romero’s condition after the game but awaited further updates.
Now, journalist Gaston Edul has claimed that Romero will be out until late January, leaving Spurs with a weakened defense during one of the most gruelling stretches of the season.
Who will replace Cristian Romero for Tottenham?
Romero’s absence couldn’t come at a worse time. Spurs are set to compete in four tournaments, including the Premier League, Europa League, EFL Cup, and FA Cup, over the next six weeks.
If his recovery timeline holds, Romero will miss up to 10 matches. Key fixtures include the EFL Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United, the north London derby against Arsenal, and crucial league games against Liverpool and Newcastle United.
In addition to Romero, Tottenham’s defensive depth has taken hits with injuries to Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies, leaving Postecoglou scrambling for solutions. Radu Dragusin, who replaced Romero against Chelsea, is likely to step up in the Argentine’s absence.
Postecoglou remains hopeful about Van de Ven’s recovery but continues to deal with a host of other absences across the squad, including Richarlison, Guglielmo Vicario, and Rodrigo Bentancur, who is suspended.
