Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has received a one-match suspension for his reaction to being sent off during the 2-1 Premier League loss to Liverpool in December.
Romero, who had already served a one-match ban for his second yellow card, will miss Saturday’s FA Cup third-round clash against Aston Villa.
The Argentine defender was charged by the FA for acting in an “improper” manner after arguing with the referee and failing to leave the field promptly. Romero admitted the charge and has been fined £50,000.
Romero’s suspension adds to Tottenham’s injury woes, with several key players missing the Aston Villa match. Manager Thomas Frank has described Romero as a “young leader” who made a mistake, and the club’s sporting director Johan Lange met with him to discuss his social media post apologizing to fans.
Tottenham are currently 14th in the Premier League table and winless in their last three games. The additional ban puts pressure on the team ahead of the FA Cup tie.
Romero’s absence will be felt, but Tottenham have options to replace him. Kevin Danso is likely to start alongside Micky van de Ven, with Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies as alternatives ².
The FA Cup third-round match against Aston Villa kicks off at 5:45 pm on Saturday, and Tottenham will be looking to bounce back from their recent slump.
