Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou reveals new Cristian Romero update as depleted Spurs face Man City test

Ange Postecoglou hopes Cristian Romero is astir implicit the toed and hamstring problems which person hampered the Argentine successful caller weeks but says Tottenham volition springiness the defender clip to instrumentality to 100 per cent fitness.

He was forced disconnected successful the 2nd halves of the wins implicit City successful the Carabao Cup and Aston Villa, earlier being replaced astatine half-time of Argentina's crippled against Paraguay past week.

Spurs volition besides beryllium without Micky van de Ven this weekend, leaving Postecoglou without his first-choice centre-backs astatine the Etihad Stadium for the 2nd twelvemonth running, but the caput manager says the nine would alternatively let Romero to instrumentality to afloat fittingness than hazard him against City.

"With us, helium hasn’t been afloat acceptable for astir apt 2 oregon 3 weeks," Postecoglou said. "He’s benignant of soldiered connected done it due to the fact that that is the benignant of quality [he is] … and we benignant of needed him but I deliberation erstwhile helium went away, helium benignant of realised, this is not healing the mode we privation it to.

"It’s a mates of abstracted issues. And I spoke to him and said: ‘Look, conscionable person a break. We request you 100 per cent fit.’ As overmuch arsenic we’d emotion to person him retired there, I deliberation it’s champion for him helium gets wholly implicit everything. He had the commencement of his girl this week arsenic good which is besides a important lawsuit successful his life.

"I deliberation it’s important for him to intermission a small spot and conscionable walk immoderate clip with his family. I deliberation it’s the close happening for him to do.

"One was evidently the sound connected his toed which has been a spot troublesome and anterior to that helium had a spot of a choky hamstring," Postecoglou added.

"It wasn’t a hamstring wounded but helium was tight. So we’re being cautious with him. He’s benignant of implicit some now. But we’ll conscionable wait, alternatively than propulsion him backmost successful this weekend. He’d had the commencement of his girl arsenic well, it conscionable felt similar we’ll instrumentality this clip to get him 100 per cent."

Romero sat retired Argentina's triumph implicit Peru connected Wednesday aft coming disconnected against Paraguay and Postecoglou admitted helium had doubts astir the 26-year-old flying to South America for planetary duty, portion insisting helium has not returned successful a worse condition.

"Yeah, you bash [have concerns]," Postecoglou said. "But there’s ever a enactment there, particularly with idiosyncratic similar Romero wherever you’ve got to spot his judgement arsenic well. He understands the work helium has.

"Look, helium didn’t marque it immoderate worse. He conscionable didn’t consciousness similar helium could execute astatine the level helium wanted truthful that’s the crushed helium came disconnected astatine half-time. If anything, erstwhile helium came back, it’s really improved.

“So it hasn’t made the concern worse for him. I conscionable deliberation helium needs to get his assemblage close truthful helium tin beryllium astatine his best."

The Catalan, whose erstwhile woody expired astatine the extremity of this term, has led City to the rubric successful six of the past 7 seasons but Postecoglou says helium is motivated by the situation of finishing up of him.

Asked if portion of him wanted Guardiola to basal down to unfastened up the league, Postecoglou said: "I look astatine it the different way.

"I go, 'imagine if you sound him off'. That'd beryllium something. I'm astatine the signifier of my beingness wherever I'd alternatively person the accidental of knocking him disconnected than missing that opportunity. When greatness is around, you privation to beryllium astir it. And hopefully it challenges you to beryllium similar that arsenic well.

"It is simply a large challenge. But I emotion the information that there's a monolithic people retired determination that tin look insurmountable. That raises my level and gets maine going.

"I lived the acquisition of equalisation successful athletics successful Australia and it's large from a competitory constituent of presumption due to the fact that everyone believes they tin win.

"But aft a portion I utilized to get frustrated by it due to the fact that excellence tends to beryllium capped astatine a definite point. It's up to everyone other to span that spread [to City]. I emotion the situation of that and I would ne'er spot that arsenic a atrocious thing."