By Martin Graham
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank believes Cristian Romero shows strong authority on the pitch but insists the defender must improve his discipline after another dismissal.
The Spurs skipper received his second red card of the campaign during Saturday’s 2-0 defeat away to Manchester United, after a challenge on Casemiro.
As a result, the 27-year-old Argentina international will now serve a four-match suspension, ruling him out of domestic action until mid-March.
Frank backs captain despite suspension
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s meeting with Newcastle United, Frank described Romero as a developing figure within the squad, highlighting his intensity and commitment.
The Tottenham boss explained that leadership evolves with time, using his own experiences to stress that understanding and composure grow with age.
Frank acknowledged that high emotion and physical edge can sometimes lead to mistakes but underlined that Romero must reflect on the incident to improve moving forward.
No change to armband and growing injury list
Frank reiterated that Romero will retain the captaincy, having already defended him in the aftermath of the Manchester United loss.
Tottenham will also be without Destiny Udogie for the next four to five weeks, with the club confirming the 23-year-old Italian has suffered a hamstring problem.
These setbacks add to an already stretched squad, with Spurs having only 11 senior players fit for their recent fixture against Manchester City.
Uncertainty over returns and league pressure
Frank admitted there is no clear timeline for Dejan Kulusevski’s comeback, with the midfielder still recovering from a knee issue and awaiting further medical assessment.
Tottenham’s struggles have left them 15th in the Premier League standings, sitting six points above the relegation places after a seven-match run without victory.
While avoiding definitive labels, Frank conceded the urgency of the situation, stressing the need for results and warning that a lack of desperation would show a failure to grasp the club’s current reality.