Tottenham ended the weekend in the Premier League relegation zone after defeat by Sunderland and their plight has got even worse with the news Cristian Romero won't play again this season
Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur reacts
Cristian Romero will miss the rest of the season(Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
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Tottenham have suffered a huge blow to their campaign against relegation from the Premier League after Cristian Romero was ruled out for the rest of the season. Romero left the pitch in tears during Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Sunderland and the extent of his injury has now been revealed.
The Spurs captain was injured after colliding with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky in the second half at the Stadium of Light. He was chasing the ball back towards his goal while under pressure from Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey and saw his knee smash into the head of Kinsky.
While Kinsky suffered a gash to his forehead, Romero had to be replaced by Kevin Danso. And an MRI scan on Monday has now confirmed that he has suffered a high-grade partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
It means the centre-back will be unavailable for the final six Premier League matches of the season. Spurs' defeat and West Ham's 4-0 win over Wolves on the weekend has left Roberto De Zerbi's side in 18th place, two points adrift of the Hammers and three behind Nottingham Forest and Leeds, who play Manchester United on Monday night.
Romero will not require surgery, meaning he could still recover in time to play for Argentina at this summer's World Cup. But his absence comes as a bitter blow to new Spurs boss De Zerbi, who underlined his importance with his words on Sunday.
De Zerbi said: "I hope for us it's not too important a problem because he's a crucial player for us, a good guy, top player, big personality and we need him to finish the season and to achieve our goal."
Romero has been a key player for Spurs during their difficult campaign, contributing six goals and four assists in 32 games across all competitions. His partnership with Micky van de Ven had appeared to be an important piece of the jigsaw, but the Dutchman will likely now play alongside either Danso or Radu Dragusin.
Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur collides with Antonin Kinsky,
Cristian Romero injured himself in a collision with Antonin Kinsky(Image: Getty Images)
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Tottenham are without a league victory in 2026, with their winless streak stretching to 14 matches. They host Brighton on Saturday before travelling to bottom side Wolves the following weekend. Their final four games of the season are against Aston Villa, Leeds, Chelsea and Everton.
De Zerbi arrived after the 44-day spell of Igor Tudor and is facing a huge challenge to keep Spurs up. "The players are all good guys, and they are suffering for this moment," he said after the defeat by Sunderland.
"They are not happy when we lose the game or they are not happy to see Tottenham at the bottom of the table, for sure, but we have to find the energy, we have to find the right spirit to be positive, to think during the week when they stay with me, for sure, they will see a positive coach because I believe in their qualities.
"We are Tottenham, but we are not going to win the game just because we are Tottenham. You can't win the game with the paper."
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