Ange Postecoglou will need to find a replacement for Cristian Romero at Tottenham with the latest injury to his side. The Argentine center-back picked up a hamstring injury during Spurs’ win over Everton two days before Christmas. The injury is a major miss for a Tottenham side that has rattled off three straight wins after that run of one point in five games. Romero, who missed many of those games because of a red card suspension, has been integral to the Tottenham back line this season.
On Wednesday, the Tottenham manager confirmed the diagnosis that will see the center-back out for over a month. Romero only played half of the game against Everton. At the break, Eric Dier replaced Romero, with the injury surely playing a role in Postecoglou’s decision.
“Not so great with Romero,” Postecoglou told reporters in his press conference. “He had a scan the other day, he’s got a hamstring strain. So, we are looking at probably four or five weeks for him.”
The Australian boss noted the physical toll of the Everton game on his players. However, the loss of Romero after 45 minutes was noticeable. Tottenham entered the break with a comfortable two-goal lead in north London. Everton responded in the second half with a goal and many chances. That could be the threat Tottenham faces in the absence of Romero.
Cristian Romero injury adds to Tottenham woes
Spurs have one of the more impressive lists of injuries in the Premier League. With Ivan Perisic, Manor Solomon and Ryan Sessegnon out for extended periods, Ange Postecoglou has been juggling his lineups. Also, Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a new injury that is keeping him out of the squad.
As stated, Romero missed time with that red card. That combined with an injury to Micky van de Ven to play into Tottenham’s struggles. Fortunately for Spurs, van de Ven is coming back from a hamstring injury of his own by early January. They will be on the sidelines together briefly, which will certainly impact Tottenham’s form. However, the return of the Dutchman is a welcome addition to Postecoglou’s side.
Mixed bag of fixtures over the next month
The absence of Romero comes during a month of differing fixtures for Tottenham. Some of the games are integral to Tottenham’s bid to return to the Champions League next season. Others are seemingly simple games that suddenly become challenging contests. For example, Romero, as well as van de Ven, will be out for Tottenham’s trip to Brighton and Hove Albion on Thursday.
In mid-January, Tottenham travels to Manchester United in a game that has major implications for the table. The two clubs have five points of separation, but neither has shown overly consistent form over the last several months. That game could come at a time when the two are closer in the table than they are currently.
Tottenham will also begin its quest to end its long trophy drought with the FA Cup. Spurs have a third-round tie against Burnley in early January. Tottenham is already out of the League Cup and there is no European competition for the club.
