Tottenham have been dealt a major blow ahead of the north London derby after Cristian Romero was handed a four-game suspension following his red card against Manchester United.
The Spurs captain was sent off in the 29th minute at Old Trafford, shown a straight red by referee Michael Oliver for a reckless challenge on Casemiro. It capped another controversial week for Romero, who had already made headlines for his social media posts in the build-up to the match.
Why Is Cristian Romero Banned for Four Matches?
Romero’s suspension is longer than usual because it combines two separate disciplinary punishments:
- Three-match ban for a straight red card due to serious foul play
- One additional match because it was his second sending-off of the season
That takes his total ban to four games, ruling him out of several key fixtures — including the Arsenal derby on February 22.
Matches Cristian Romero Will Miss
The Argentine centre-back will be unavailable for the following Premier League games:
- Tottenham vs Arsenal – February 22
- Tottenham vs Newcastle – February 25
- Fulham vs Tottenham – March 1
- Tottenham vs Crystal Palace – March 5
Romero will not return to domestic action until Tottenham’s trip to Liverpool on March 15.
However, he will be available for the Champions League, with Spurs set to play the first leg of their last-16 tie on March 10 or 11 against one of:
- Juventus
- Atletico Madrid
- Club Brugge
- Galatasaray
Romero’s Disciplinary Record This Season
This latest dismissal adds to a worrying pattern:
- Second red card of the season
- Previously sent off against Liverpool on December 20
- Later fined £50,000 by the FA and given an extra one-match ban for his behaviour
- Eight yellow cards so far this campaign
- Already missed a match earlier in the season due to accumulated bookings
Saturday’s red card was also Romero’s fourth dismissal for Tottenham, tying him with Younes Kaboul for the most red cards in the club’s Premier League history.
Captaincy and Future in Doubt?
Despite retaining the armband, Romero’s future remains uncertain. Spurs boss Thomas Frank admitted before the United game that he had “no idea” whether Romero would still be at the club next season.
That comment came after Romero’s latest Instagram outburst, where he called it “disgraceful” that Tottenham were left with only 11 fit senior players after he was forced off against Manchester City due to illness — an issue he also played through against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Injury Woes Deepen for Spurs
To make matters worse, Tottenham’s injury crisis continued at Old Trafford when Destiny Udogie limped off, forcing Frank to turn to debutant Souza.
With Romero suspended and injuries piling up, Spurs head into a brutal run of fixtures severely weakened at the back.
