Chalien Dantes / Contributor

Cristian Romero has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on Sunday.

The Tottenham captain left the pitch in tears after a collision involving goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky while attempting to deal with a challenge from Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.

Early suggestions that the Argentina international could still feature at the upcoming World Cup are now being played down, with his focus shifting to recovery as his club season comes to an abrupt end.

The blow comes at a difficult time for Spurs, who are battling near the bottom of the table. With just six matches left, they sit in the relegation zone and are two points from safety.

New manager Roberto De Zerbi is already dealing with a stretched squad. He had only just spoken about relying on Mohammed Kudus in the final stretch, only for the forward to pick up a fresh quad injury shortly after.

Romero had been described by De Zerbi as a key figure following the defeat at the Stadium of Light, but he will now miss the run in as Spurs attempt to fight their way out of danger.