Tottenham captain Cristian Romero condemned the club’s depleted squad after Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City, calling it “disgraceful” that only 11 players were available for the match.
The result eased immediate pressure by rescuing a point after Spurs trailed 2-0, but it did little to blunt scrutiny of manager Thomas Frank. Tottenham sit 14th after a run of six Premier League games without a win, and Frank’s position is under pressure.
Romero, who left the City game at half-time feeling unwell after a difficult midweek trip to Eintracht Frankfurt, used Instagram on Monday to express his frustration with the club’s situation. He praised his teammates’ effort and said he had wanted to help them despite his illness, pointing out that having only 11 available players was “unbelievable” and “disgraceful.” He added that the squad would keep working hard, stay together and take responsibility to turn results around, and thanked supporters for their backing.
This is not the first time Romero has vented on social media this season. After a 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth, he appeared to criticise the club hierarchy by referencing “lies” in a post he later edited; the contentious phrase was removed and Frank described the message as a mistake he would defend.
Why the shortage?
Tottenham currently have 13 players sidelined, more than any other Premier League side, with a mix of long-term injuries and ongoing absences. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have been out all season. Others unavailable include Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Bergvall, Richarlison, Ben Davies, Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro. There are also minor concerns over Djed Spence, Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke, which complicates selection ahead of Saturday’s trip to Manchester United.
In the January transfer window Spurs have brought in Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and young left-back Souza from Santos. Reported interest in striker Antoine Semenyo ended with him joining Manchester City. The club believes stronger options are more likely to emerge in the summer, when it plans to invest heavily in the squad.