On a night where Arsenal were chased 3-0 and sent back to The Emirates beaten with intent, it is hard to find a negative. However, for Spurs, it is often a case that negative follows positive. So, when Antonio Conte revealed that a major injury blow was struck in his post-match comments, fans were not surprised.
From the moment the teams were announced, eyebrows were raised. Where was Cristian Romero? The Argentine defender was gone. He was not present on the pitch. He was not even in the squad. The 24-year-old has been borderline imperious under Conte, so losing him was a major headache for the squad. The problem is that Conte revealed in his post-match diagnosis that it is unlikely Romero will play in either of the two remaining games.
This is a major blow for the club, it also represents an opportunity. Davison Sanchez came into the first-team reckoning again and was mostly fine. The Colombian has endured a tough time at Spurs for the most part of his time at the club. His talent is undeniable, but it has been an exercise in frustration trying to put it all together. As such, Sanchez had some fans worried.
While he strolled through the game, his position in the team for the next two fixtures will naturally have some fans concerned. Can he retain that level of performance that he gave on Thursday night?
What did Antonio Conte say about Cristian Romero?
Given the impact the Argentine has had since signing, losing him for two key games is a hammer blow. Few players have risen to the occasion and few have fitted into the system quite like Romero. Conte was a known fan of the defender when he was at Internazionale, but the Argentina international instead went to Juventus. Now, he works with Conte and looks certain to do so next season.
He will miss the end of the season, though, with Conte saying: “This is bad news. Bad news because he received a hit on his hip in the (training) game yesterday.
“Honestly the first time (they saw the injury), the players and medical department didn’t think it was a serious problem. Instead, the problem is not serious, serious – but I think that he has not the possibility to recover for his last two games.”
This could pose some headaches for the club as two tough games lie in wait. While Sanchez was fine against Arsenal, it has been a while since the Colombian had to play three games in the space of a week. It will be a monumental challenge to come through the coming days for Spurs, but if Sanchez can do enough then Romero can hopefully return to play Champions League football in 2022-23.
For now, the race is on to see if Romero can somehow play a part. Given the comments by the coach, though, Spurs FC fans should prepare themselves for a typically bumpy ride towards the conclusion of the season.
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Explanation: player statistics (a/b c)
a - games played this season
b - goals scored
c - team position (d - defender, m - midfielder, f - forward, g - goalkeeper).
