Tottenham will be without their first-choice central defensive pairing for tomorrow’s trip to Manchester City after boss Ange Postecoglou confirmed Cristian Romero would miss the game at the Etihad.
Romero sustained an injury in Spurs’ win over Aston Villa prior to the international break and missed Argentina’s game against Peru on Tuesday.
He joins Micky van de Ven on the sidelines with the Netherlands international not fit to return from a hamstring problem.
Previously at the Dekihad ⏮️ pic.twitter.com/U6jXRRp9Gu
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 20, 2024
“Romero won’t be right for tomorrow – we’re hoping he’s alright for next week,” said Postecoglou, who added on Van de Ven: “There is always a natural cautiousness with somebody who has a recurring problem but you don’t want to treat him with kid gloves as ultimately he has to go out and play. It’s fair to say we’re taking the appropriate steps and Micky will be a judge of that too.”
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Bentancur starts suspension
Rodrigo Bentancur will also miss the trip north as he starts a seven-game domestic ban for racist remarks he made about team-mate Son Heung-min.
Spurs have accepted the guilty verdict but appealed the length of the sanction and Postecoglou believes education is more productive than punishment.
The Australian said: “I get that people want to burn people at the stake these days but if you want real education and progress understanding that when someone makes a mistake and pays the penalty, part of that process is education and treating it in a way that is the way forward.
“Whether it’s Rodrigo or anyone else, I’m old enough, I’ve made bigger mistakes than that but I’ve been able to learn from them and it’s made me a better human being because of that.”
We’re improving – Postecoglou
Tottenham are 10th in the Premier League, albeit just three points off third, after losing to Ipswich in their last game.
They have been inconsistent this season but Postecoglou insists they are improving year on year.
“I think we’re a better side than we were last season as we look to progress and our players have developed,” he said. “Obviously, the results haven’t reflected that. You want to improve your standing within the game. I’m still very bullish and positive about our progress. We need to now push on in terms of consistency to get more positive results.”
That push starts at the home of the four-time defending champions. City have lost their last four games in all competitions, the worst run of Pep Guardiola’s coaching career, but have not been beaten in a league game at the Etihad since going down to Brentford in November 2022.
Postecoglou said: “City have got an imposing record at their place, those four losses have all been away from home. It’s a great test and challenge for us to go there and disrupt things again and put some pressure on them. It will never be an easy task.”
