Under international breaks!
I hate international breaks.
I support a national team with little consequence on the international stage, and when Big Ange has a perfect cooking at Tottenham Hotspur, and it feels like we have just started the season, AND we already have a crowded calendar of fixtures, an international break at this point feels like an unnecessary risk to players around the world who are already suffering from overwork.
So what’s worse than an international break? A Spurs player returning with injury:
First, an obligatory disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, nor do I speak (well, read) Spanish; but the gist of the message is this: Cristian Romero, one of our defenders in recent times, has sustained a leg injury while on international duty for Argentina, and is in doubt for their next match. against Bolivia.
A few things to break down here: first, I have very little to go on in terms of sourcing. Luis Fregossi appears to be a journalist in Argentina, and all kinds of news often come out through the grapevine of the Argentine media; but Fregossi doesn’t appear to be linked to many major outlets (although his Twitter feed is full of South American football news).
Second, the actual extent of the damage (or what the damage is) is unclear. The words (translated into English) refer to a “contracture of the rectus posterior of the right leg”. The problem here is that no such muscle, from what I can find, seems to exist. There is a rectus capitis posterior muscle, but that’s at the base of the skull; so it is possible that the muscle in question is the rectus femoris, which is part of the quadricep (ha).
Contraction is also a bit of a dubious term, and it’s possible that it’s just a tight or a little pull. Cuti has had issues with his leg in the past, with multiple quad and/or hamstring injuries over the past two seasons, so this injury is a cause for concern. In this case though, it seems the severity is on the low side, with Argentina still considering keeping Cuti with the squad pending an upcoming check-up; but regardless of the outcome here, it looks like Spurs will be welcoming back a key player in a position where they lack the depth to be (at least) a little worse for wear.
I hate international breaks.
UPDATE: Well, just as I posted this, another Argentinian outlet is now saying it’s a calf injury, so who knows? It can also be a punctured spleen at this point.
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