Injuries expert Dr Rajpal Brar has made a concerning claim about Cristian Romero’s hamstring issue and about the risks associated with the defender’s attempts to make a Tottenham return.
Romero has been missing in action since the start of November and the Argentine has been a big miss for Ange Postecoglou‘s men, given his experience, defensive nous and leadership qualities.
However, the defender is now edging closer to a return, with Ange Postecoglou confirming last week that Cristian Romero is progressing well and should be back for the second leg of Tottenham’s Europa League round of 16 clash against AZ Alkmaar.
Over recent days, we have seen footage of Romero training with the Spurs squad, which has delighted the club’s supporters.
Cristian Romero’s re-injury risk ahead of Tottenham return
Dr Rajpal Brar, a sports science and physical therapy expert, pointed out that Romero’s double injury this season and the fact he has missed almost four months of football is a matter of serious Spurs concern.
He suggested that there is no guaranteed timeline to ensure that the risk of aggravating the injury is minimised, with his return thus having an element of risk.
Brar told Tottenham News about Romero: “This sounds like a Grade 3 muscular injury, but the tricky part is how much time he’s missed this season and if this is a re-injury.
“There’s no guaranteed timeline for when he will be able to start with minimal injury risk, it all just comes down to how he responds to bounce matches and consistent minutes in matches.
“I think it’s still unlikely he’s back in time for the next one. If he is to be fit, he’ll need at least three to four days of full first-team training.”
Spurs are taking extra precautions with Romero
From the outside looking in and from hearing Postecoglou’s statements about Romero and Van de Ven, it seems like the pair could have potentially been ready to play a week or two ago.
However, having rushed them back the first time, the club are seemingly being extra cautious this time so that the duo are slowly introduced to the increase in intensity rather than being thrown straight into a game.