Postecoglou Faces Defensive Headache Ahead of Manchester City Clash

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Cristian Romero is a doubt for Saturday’s Premier League showdown against Manchester City, while Micky van de Ven remains sidelined.

Romero, whose wife recently gave birth to their daughter, is still recovering from an injury sustained in Spurs’ 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa before the international break. The Argentine defender was substituted at halftime during his national team’s match against Paraguay and missed their subsequent victory over Peru.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Postecoglou expressed uncertainty over Romero’s availability. “Happy for Cristian and his wife on the birth of their baby girl,” he said. “He is still not 100 percent, so he is definitely a doubt for the weekend. Everyone else from the internationals got through well.”

Meanwhile, Van de Ven is making progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury but remains weeks away from a return. The Dutch defender, who has been a standout performer since joining Spurs in the summer, is back in training but is not expected to feature until mid-December.

“Micky is still a couple of weeks away,” Postecoglou confirmed. “He’s on the grass training, but we’re hoping by the middle of December he’ll be back and available to play.”