Tottenham ‘lose Cristian Romero until after the World Cup but defender set to be fit for tournament’

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero is not expected to play for the club before the World Cup as he continues to struggle with injuries, according to reports.

The Argentine central defender has been absent for three of his last four games with a calf problem.

Romero missed Spurs’ 2-1 defeat to Newcastle last month, but then played against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.

Cristian Romero is not expected to play for Tottenham again until after the World Cup

Antonio Conte had insisted he took a ‘big, big risk’ in selecting the 24-year-old against the Portuguese side and it appears it was a risk that didn’t pay off.

After the clash with Sporting, Romero missed out on victories over Bournemouth and Marseille.

According to the Evening Standardhe is now expected to miss their last three games before the tournament – games against Liverpool and Leeds in the Premier League and a Carabao Cup clash with Nottingham Forest.

However, he is expected to be fit for Argentina’s World Cup opening on November 22 with Saudi Arabia.

Romero has emerged as a key part of Lionel Scaloni’s national team, winning 12 caps since his debut in June 2021.

Romero is a key player for Argentina and is expected to be fit for their World Cup opener

He started their Copa America overall win over Brazil in July 2021, while also playing in their 3-0 win against Italy in the Finalissima this summer.

Argentina will take on Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland in Group C and are hoping to push their limits after the promising progress they’ve made under Scaloni in recent years.

Romero’s injury is the latest headache for Spurs boss Conte, with Heung-min Son undergoing surgery on an eye fracture he sustained during Tuesday’s Champions League win against Marseille.

Spurs have recently suffered several injuries including Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski

Key forwards Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison were also absent for a while, although both are nearing their return after hamstring and calf injuries respectively.

Likewise, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg appeared to be in some pain during the clash with the French side before scoring a stoppage time winner, with Conte set to provide an update on the fitness status of several of his players on Friday – ahead of this weekend’s clash with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

The Spurs are currently third in the Premier League, five points behind league leaders Arsenal, while eventually winning their Champions League group to qualify for the round of 16.