Tottenham captain **Cristian Romero faces a season-ending knee injury after being substituted in tears during Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Sunderland. The Argentina international suffered the injury in a collision with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky while defending against Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey. Romero's tearful exit came as another blow to the club's precarious league position.

New Tottenham boss **Roberto De Zerbi described Romero as a "crucial player" after the match, highlighting his importance to the squad. The injury compounds Spurs' relegation worries as they sit in the bottom three, just two points from safety with six games remaining. De Zerbi had already been dealt a setback with Mohammed Kudus sidelined by a fresh quad injury.

Kevin Danso is expected to replace Romero for the remainder of the season after coming on for him at Sunderland. The defender's injury now casts doubt over his World Cup participation with Argentina, who begin their title defense on June 17. Tottenham face Brighton, Wolves, Aston Villa, Leeds, Chelsea and Everton in their remaining league matches as they fight to avoid relegation.