Cuti Romero’s role as a core player for Argentina means he is likely to be called up for most World Cup qualifiers and friendlies, potentially affecting his availability or freshness for Tottenham.
Romero missed training yesterday, on September 29, 2025, as ‘a precaution’, according to Tottenham manager Thomas Frank, indicating careful management of his condition post-international break. His history of injuries, such as a hamstring issue in 2021 and a three-month absence in 2024-25, underscores the need to balance his club and international commitments.
The question I’m asking is a very straightforward one: when was the last time his country played second fiddle to his club?
Romero’s absence or early return from international breaks can be a double-edged sword. For instance, his suspension for the Ecuador match in September 2025 meant less fatigue for Tottenham’s next game, but his heavy international schedule has previously raised concerns about fatigue and form.
Romero’s frequent international commitments with Argentina, where he has 45 caps and three goals as of May 2025, often result in significant travel and workload. In the 2023-24 season, he travelled more than any other player (162,978 km), highlighting the physical toll of international duty. This can affect his recovery time for Tottenham matches, especially with early kick-offs like the one against West Ham following an international break.
The Athletic unearthed that travel gem in their piece here in April of this year. The headline to that article was How do Tottenham Hotspur get the best out of Cristian Romero?, which is frankly a concerning question when dealing with the club captain and supposedly a star player.
The killer quote is surely this one:
There have been 143 top-flight games since Romero joined Spurs in August 2021, initially on loan from Italian side Atalanta before the move became permanent for £42.5million. He has started 94 of them (65 per cent). He has only appeared in more than 30 league games in a season once for Spurs across four years. Romero has barely missed a game for Argentina over the past few years, but his poor availability for Spurs is concerning.