Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to be working without centre-back Cristian Romero until after the World Cup.
The 24-year-old has been absent for three of Spurs' last four games in all competitions due to a calf problem, which he initially sustained before the defeat to Newcastle United.
Romero was rushed back to line up against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League, but Antonio Conte admitted that he took a "big risk" in playing the Argentina international.
Romero has since sat out Spurs' last two meetings with Bournemouth and Marseille, with Eric Dier, Clement Lenglet and Ben Davies all starting at the Orange Velodrome.
Now, the Evening Standard reports that the former Atalanta BC defender is not expected to take to the field again for Tottenham until after the World Cup as he aims to fully recover from the problem.
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As a result, Romero will not be available for this weekend's crunch tie with Liverpool, and Spurs are also due to face Nottingham Forest and Leeds United in the EFL Cup and Premier League respectively before the World Cup break.
However, the report adds that the injury should not impact Romero's participation at the World Cup, with Argentina set to take on Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland in Group C.
The 24-year-old can supposedly expect to recover in time for Argentina's opener with Saudi Arabia on November 22 and should therefore return for Tottenham's Boxing Day clash with Brentford.
Romero has been an integral part of Conte's team when fully fit this season, making 13 appearances in all competitions to take his total for the club to one goal in 43 games since arriving in 2021.
Conte's ranks have suffered several injury blows since the most recent international break, with Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min also on the sidelines at present.
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Son sustained a fracture around the eye in a collision with Marseille's Chancel Mbemba on Tuesday night and will now undergo surgery, and Spurs have not put a timeframe on his recovery.
Meanwhile, Richarlison has been absent since sustaining a calf injury against former club Everton on October 15, but the Brazilian is reportedly close to rejoining outdoor training.
Kulusevski picked up a hamstring issue while on international duty with Sweden in September and has not played for Tottenham since, and Conte had previously admitted that he could not guarantee the attacker would return before the World Cup.
However, in a welcome boost for Spurs fans, Kulusevski is understood to be training outside and is remaining optimistic about his chances of playing before the World Cup starts.
Goals from Lenglet and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg saw Tottenham come from behind to beat Marseille 2-1 and qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League, and the Lilywhites sit third in the Premier League table before welcoming Liverpool to North London on Sunday.
Ben Knapton
