Leading up to the big game against Manchester United this weekend, there was a growing hope that Cristian Romero could return to the Tottenham Hotspur team, but Ange Postecoglou has admitted that may not happen now.
For the past two months, Spurs have had to use full-backs such as Ben Davies and Emerson Royal in the centre of defence, with both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero suffering injuries.
The Lilywhites have coped fairly well in their absence, but Ange Postecoglou is now close to having the luxury of having three first-team centre-backs to pick from, with the signing of Radu Dragusin this month adding further depth to the defence.
After picking up a hamstring strain in Spurs‘ win over Everton last month, Romero was expected to be out for up to five weeks, and at the start of this month, Postecoglou revealed the Argentine was in the ‘early stages’ of his recovery (Football.London).
However, a recent report from The Athletic suggested Romero was ‘pushing’ to be included in the squad for the upcoming game against Manchester United on Sunday.
Cristian Romero likely to miss Man United match
In his latest press conference (via Football.London), Postecoglou has cast doubts on the likelihood of Romero featuring in the matchday squad and admitted it may be a little bit too soon for a full return.
He said: “The only one to join the main group today is Romero and that’s it I think. He’s just started training so it’s fair to say it might be a bit close this weekend.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It’s a shame, but there is no sense in rushing Romero back, especially if Radu Dragusin is ready to play. Hopefully, we should see Romero back for the Manchester City game in the FA Cup, though, which will be a huge boost.