Tottenham captain Cristian Romero will be thousands of miles away in Argentina when his club faces a potential relegation catastrophe on Sunday.
The injured defender has travelled to his homeland to watch boyhood side Belgrano take on River Plate in a historic Argentine league championship final, rather than supporting his teammates against Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Belgrano's official X account shared footage of Romero at their training ground on Thursday evening, while the club's president Luis Artime confirmed the 28-year-old would be in attendance for the title decider.
"He wrote to us and he congratulated us, he said that we need to make history," Artime told Argentine publication Deportes 24. "Will he have tickets? Of course, he'll watch it next to me."
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has flown back to Argentina despite his club's relegation clash on Sunday
|GETTY
Roberto De Zerbi addressed the controversy at his Friday press conference, revealing that Romero had consulted with medical staff before departing.
"Together, they decided to go to Argentina to complete the rehab with the Argentinian medical staff," the Spurs manager explained.
De Zerbi insisted his captain had shown commitment throughout his tenure, stating: "He showed always he wanted to stay with us. He's already injured. We have to accept."
The Italian acknowledged supporter frustration, however, saying he "100 per cent" understood the anger surrounding Romero's absence.
"He can't change anything, Romero, if he is at the stadium or not," De Zerbi added. "Finally, I have no time to lose energy thinking about other things, we have to be focused just on the game."
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign earlier this season through injury
| GETTYThe decision has provoked fierce backlash across social media, with numerous supporters labelling Romero's choice as "disgraceful".
One fan wrote: "The captain of Tottenham Hotspur choosing to personally miss the club's biggest-ever league match in our recent modern history. Romero should never be allowed to put on a Spurs shirt ever again."
Another stated: "Massive game on Sunday and he doesn't give a f***."
Many have suggested this signals the end of his time at the club regardless of Sunday's outcome, with the defender heavily linked to Atletico Madrid despite signing a contract extension last year.
Romero has previously been outspoken about the club's hierarchy. Following January's defeat at Bournemouth, he apologised to fans before adding: "At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't as has been happening for several years now."
Spurs enter the final day controlling their own destiny, sitting two points clear of West Ham in 18th position.
Victory over Everton would secure 17th place and condemn the Hammers to the drop, while even a draw should suffice given Tottenham's superior goal difference.
If Tottenham avoid defeat on Sunday, they will stay in the Premier League
| REUTERSWest Ham host Leeds on Sunday needing three points to have any realistic hope of survival.
For Tottenham, defeat combined with a Hammers win would trigger their first relegation in 49 years.
De Zerbi highlighted the contrasting approaches within his squad, noting that defender Ben Davies had specifically requested to stay with teammates at the team hotel on Saturday night.
"Not all leaders are the same," the manager observed, adding that Romero was focused on preparing for this summer's World Cup following his knee injury.