It's a situation that only elicits sighs. The 'injury ward' Tottenham Hotspur has lost captain Cristian Romero (28) near the end of the season. With relegation looming for the first time in 49 years, this is the worst possible blow.
Tottenham lost 0-1 to Sunderland in the 32nd-round away match of the 2025-2026 Premier League at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, England, on the 12th (Korea time). In the 16th minute of the second half, Sunderland's Nordi Mukiele's shot deflected off a defender and resulted in an unlucky opening goal, and that goal decided the match.
With this defeat, Tottenham has sunk into a run of 14 league games without a win (5 draws, 9 losses). They have not won since the Crystal Palace match at the end of December last year. Roberto De Zerbi, who took over after interim manager Igor Tudor, failed to stop the worst run. Tottenham is the only Premier League team that still has not won in 2026.
Tottenham have also fallen to 18th and have truly slipped into the relegation zone. With 30 points, they surrendered 17th place to West Ham United (32 points), who beat Wolverhampton in the same round.
As painful as the defeat is Romero's injury exit. In the 18th minute of the second half, Romero could not slow down because he was pushed from behind by Myron Brobbey, and he collided with the goalkeeper Antonin Kinský who came out to collect the ball. It was a dizzying moment with Romero's knee hitting Kinský's head.
Romero could not get up easily from the turf, and his teammates signaled to the bench that he could no longer play. Kinský, who was bleeding from his forehead, wrapped a bandage and got up again, but Romero ultimately could not continue. Romero left the pitch in tears and went to the bench.
For Tottenham, now considered a strong relegation candidate, there is a risk of even losing Romero. According to football statistics outlet Opta, Tottenham's relegation probability has risen to 46.06%. Nottingham is calculated at 10.23% and West Ham at 35.56%.
If the captain and defensive linchpin Romero is sidelined by injury, it could be fatal. He is suspected of an injury to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the knee. Argentine journalist Gastón Edul reported, "Romero has some instability in his knee. He will undergo ligament tests to determine whether he injured the MCL or it is a simple contusion. He is in pain."
Injury specialist outlet Physio Scout expressed a similar view. The outlet explained, "After the heavy collision with Kinský, Romero's knee buckled into a valgus position. This raises concerns about an MCL injury. Rarely, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can also be damaged, but it often occurs together with an MCL injury."
It added, "The best-case scenario is a bone bruise or a mild MCL injury. If it is an MCL grade 1 injury, recovery is expected to be 1–3 weeks; grade 2, 4–6 weeks; grade 3, more than 8 weeks. Immediately after the collision, Romero was touching the inside of the knee where the MCL is located, checking for pain."
Only six matches remain. If Romero misses even one match, Tottenham's relegation probability will increase further. British outlet GiveMeSport said, "If Romero misses matches, it will be an image that symbolizes this season. It will also deal a big blow to Tottenham's chances of survival. Kevin Danso is likely to step in as a replacement, but he is not someone who can fully replace Romero."
There is even speculation that the Sunderland match could be Romero's last for Tottenham. The Spurs News said, "With the World Cup eight weeks away, it seems unlikely Romero will rush a comeback for Tottenham. He is expected to leave the team this summer. This could be his last match wearing the Tottenham shirt."
The outlet also reported, "Many Tottenham fans welcome Romero's transfer because of his anxious style of play and disciplinary issues."
[Photo] ©Gettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Physio Scout, The Athletic social media.
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