Cristian Romero is OUT for the season with knee ligament damage in large blow to relegation-threatened Spurs – however crying captain might nonetheless make the World Cup with Argentina

Cristian Romero will not play for Tottenham again this season after scans revealed knee ligament damage.

Spurs captain Romero injured his right knee in a collision with his own goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky during the second half of a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland on Sunday in new boss Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge.

He left the pitch in the 70th minute in floods of tears, clearly fearing the worst ahead of crucial games in a relegation fight and the World Cup in eight weeks.

Spurs are yet to comment on the injury or possible recovery time.

Romero is not thought to require surgery, but his absence for the final six games of the Premier League is another serious blow to De Zerbi with his team cut two points adrift in the relegation zone and without a win in 14 games.

Expected to be sidelined for up to eight weeks, Romero may still make a recovery in time for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer, with reports in Argentina suggesting he could be fit in time for the holders’ first match against Algeria in June.

The injury blow means Romero could have played his final match for Tottenham, as the defender is expected to seek an exit from Spurs should they go down to the Championship.  

After West Ham’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Wolves and Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland, Spurs dropped into the relegation zone with only six matches remaining. 

Danny Murphy believes Romero’s tears against Sunderland were not for Tottenham and their relegation plight but rather for Argentina, fearing he would miss the World Cup.

Speaking on talkSPORT on Monday, Murphy said: ‘I think his tears were probably because he thinks he’ll miss the World Cup. I know that sounds a bit cynical but why are you crying if you’ve just got a knock?

‘I mean, it did look a naughty one [the collision]. I think he thinks he’s done his knee, I think he knows’.

‘You know as a player when you’ve got a bad one and I think the tears were: “I’m going to miss the World Cup”.

‘I’m not saying he doesn’t care about Tottenham, but what I mean is, that wasn’t: “Oh, I’m leaving the pitch and we’ll lose”.’

Romero’s harmful collision with Kinsky came after he appeared to be shoved by Sunderland forward Brian Brobbey, who escaped the incident without sanction.

De Zerbi had been at pains before the Sunderland game to stress the value of his captain, a World Cup winner with Argentina, a leader and a symbol of strength in the dressing room.

The Italian head coach already lost winger Mohamed Kudus before his first game with a setback in training as he neared a return to the first team after three months out with a quad muscle injury.

Kudus, signed for £55million from West Ham last year, may not be able to play again this season and could require surgery.

Injuries have blighted Spurs, with Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison yet to make an appearance this season.

Others still out include Ben Davies, Rodrigo Bentancur, Wilson Odobert and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.