Cristian Romero left the pitch in tears with a leg injury during Tottenham’s clash at Sunderland as relegation-threatened Spurs suffered what could be a hammer blow to their survival hopes.
Romero nastily collided with his goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky on the 64th minute, with both men receiving treatment from Tottenham’s medical team.
There was particular concern for the Czech stopper, who was being checked over for a head injury and concussion. With first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario injured, Roberto De Zerbi was facing the prospect of requiring the services of third-choice Brandon Austin in what was his first game as Spurs boss.
But after a lengthy delay, it was the Argentine defender who needed to be replaced, with Romero visibly upset as he limped towards the touchline, hampered with an apparent dead leg.
Wiping his teary eyes with his shirt, he was replaced by Kevin Danso, while Kinsky was deemed OK to continue.
Romero’s departure after the captain made a vow to do “everything I can” to guide Tottenham out of this “dark time” ahead of the meeting at the Stadium of Light.
Thanking the Tottenham fans, he told Sky Sports: “I’ve been here five seasons. This season was not easy for any of us, but I want to thank them [the Tottenham fans] for always being there, and I want to try to be together more than ever in this dark time, and I will do everything I can to get out of this.
”The club isn't there because of me, it's the structure, the stadium, the people. Every time we play at the stadium, it's completely full, they follow us everywhere, and I think it deserves to compete at least.
"I'm not saying win the Premier League, because to say win the title is easy, but at least compete in the top positions of the league, compete in the European competitions.
"To try and have targets to achieve these things would be great, but the important thing is not focusing on the present, which is not good. Try to get out of this bad situation and try to focus on these two months of the season and do it in the best way possible."
He departed the game at a crucial moment, with Spurs not long having fallen behind to a fortuitous deflected strike from Sunderland defender Nordi Mukiele.
The goal meant that as things, Tottenham would remain in the bottom three with six games to play after West Ham plunged their London rivals into the drop zone with their 4-0 thrashing of bottom club Wolves.
De Zerbi will have just six more games to save Tottenham after penning a five-year contract at the club, replacing ill-fated interim appointment Igor Tudor.
