Cristian Romero is the proud bearer of the Tottenham Hotspur captain’s armband, but he might not be allowed to wear it during the North London derby.
Cristian Romero will be hoping to get as many minutes under his belt as possible this season. The Tottenham Hotspur skipper missed a large part of the previous campaign due to injuries, and this played a key role in Spurs finishing 17th in the Premier League table.
Romero missed Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League due to a short-term issue, but he was straight back in the starting lineup against Leeds.
However, there are concerns Romero could miss the North London derby in November, and it has nothing to do with his fitness levels.
Cristian Romero is at risk of a Tottenham suspension
Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has already been suspended this season after picking up five yellow cards and Romero is not far behind. The centre-back has received three yellow cards in seven Premier League appearances.
His most recent booking was highly unnecessary. Romero had a face-off with Leeds United’s Noah Okafor and picked up a needless yellow card as a result.
If Romero keeps up his card-per-game ratio, he will reach five yellow cards during his 11th Premier League match. This would be a big problem, as Tottenham’s 12th league fixture is against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Spurs would be much weaker without Romero
Kevin Danso is the obvious option to replace Romero, but he did not have a great game against Bodo/Glimt. In fairness to the defender, it is not easy to come into the first-team and immediately reach the levels of a player who has experienced a lot more action on the pitch.
However, there is no room for excuses when a player fails to perform in the North London derby. Spurs badly need a win against Arsenal in the Premier League, and the game could have a real impact on the Premier League table.
Romero is one of the club’s most important players, and if he does get himself suspended before derby day, Thomas Frank will have some thinking to do.
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