Medical Insider: Cristian Romero now at risk of ‘serious injury’ after Tottenham twist
Cristian Romero would be at risk of a “serious injury” if he features for Tottenham when not fully fit.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
Romero has not featured in Tottenham’s last three games across all competitions with a minor hamstring complaint.
As quoted by Sky Sports on Friday (4 November), Antonio Conte confirmed that the 24-year-old would not be able to feature against Liverpool on Sunday (6 November).
“It’s one of those where you err on the side of caution,” Dinnery told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“It’s a fatigue-induced thigh problem that is being managed.
“When you’re talking about muscle injuries and fatigue, it’s one where you make a decision on a player missing one or two games, seven to 10 days.
“Or, you’re taking a risk and you could be looking at a few weeks out and ending his hope of featuring in the World Cup, that definitely comes into consideration.
“Also, when you look at the strength of options Antonio Conte has, we’ve seen Davinson Sanchez come back, you’ve got Eric Dier and even Japhet Tanganga is back in there. There are options that can come into that back line.
“It’s a fairly simple decision to hold him back and not push him too hard because the risk of serious injury is real.
“Not only is it good player management, it’s also good squad management as well. You have those players on the fringes of the starting XI, like Sanchez, who have benefitted from his absence.
“They might think ‘If I’m not starting when he’s fully fit and I’m not starting when he has a slight issue, what am I have to do to push myself into this team?’
“A lot of this will come from Romero and will be player led. He’ll be saying ‘I’m not quite 100 per cent’.”
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