Tottenham Hotspur fans are no strangers to the rollercoaster of emotions that accompany the club’s season, but recent injury setbacks have raised the stakes for both players and manager Ange Postecoglou. When Spurs faced Chelsea on December 8, the atmosphere was one of cautious optimism, especially with key defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven making their returns to the starting lineup. Romero had been sidelined for several weeks due to a combination of a tight hamstring and a toe ligament injury, while Van de Ven had been out with a hamstring issue since late October. Their return to the starting XI against Chelsea raised spirits, but what followed was an all-too-familiar story of setbacks that have continued to plague the team.
The opening minutes of the Chelsea game seemed to suggest a resurgence for Spurs, with Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski scoring early goals. However, it all began to unravel when Romero limped off after just 15 minutes with a thigh injury, and by the time Van de Ven also succumbed to his hamstring problem in the 78th minute, Tottenham were 4-2 down and ultimately lost 4-3. The injury woes had returned with a vengeance, and Spurs finished the match with makeshift centre-halves in Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray, marking the beginning of a difficult winter for the club.
The prognosis for both Romero and Van de Ven was initially vague. Postecoglou maintained that he hadn’t taken a risk with their fitness and that Romero had suffered a “totally different injury” to his previous issues, while Van de Ven had only experienced “tightness” in his hamstring. However, reports soon surfaced from Argentina that Romero would be out for six weeks, leaving Tottenham fans with a sense of dread over the potential long-term absences of both defenders.
As January unfolded, the uncertainty surrounding the two centre-backs continued to hang over the club. Romero’s fitness remained a question mark, despite him appearing for light training ahead of Spurs’ Europa League match against Hoffenheim. Postecoglou mentioned that Romero was still “a week to 10 days” away from full fitness, but by the end of January, Van de Ven made his long-awaited return to action against Elfsborg in the Europa League. While the Dutchman’s return provided some relief, it was short-lived; he was substituted at half-time, with Postecoglou later deciding to “keep him on ice” for the upcoming matches.
The situation surrounding Van de Ven and Romero has become increasingly puzzling as both players have failed to feature in Spurs’ crucial cup fixtures against Liverpool and Aston Villa in February. Postecoglou has avoided labeling either player’s situation a “setback,” but his characterization of both cases as “slow-burners” suggests a lengthy road to recovery. For fans, the continued absence of two of their most important defenders is becoming increasingly mystifying.
As Spurs’ injury crisis appears to finally ease, with several players expected to return to full training, the futures of Romero and Van de Ven remain unclear. Their absence has put extra pressure on Tottenham’s already fragile squad, and it has become apparent that the team’s hopes of salvaging the season are closely tied to the return of these two crucial figures. For now, Spurs fans must remain patient, but with each passing week, the uncertainty surrounding Romero and Van de Ven’s fitness grows.
