Tottenham Hotspur news: Blow as Thomas Frank star hit with FA charge after Premier League defeat against Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero has been charged by the FA for alleged offences after he was sent off against Liverpool.

Spurs' festive period has been far from a productive one, with the club's latest defeat coming at home against Liverpool last Saturday.

While defeat was punishment enough, Thomas Frank will also have to deal with the absences of Xavi Simons and Romero in the coming weeks after both were sent off.

The latter received a second yellow card after lashing out at Ibrahima Konate in second-half stoppage time, and he could face further consequences other than the customary one-match ban.

Romero has been charged by the FA for allegedly 'acting in an improper manner by failing to promptly leave the field and/or behaving in a confrontational manner towards the match referee', and the Argentine will have until January 2 to respond to the charges.

Is Cristian Romero becoming a problem for Thomas Frank?

There is no doubting Romero's commitment to both Tottenham and Argentina, and his aggressive style has helped him earn Europa League and World Cup winner's medals.

However, the defender has struggled to find a balance in his playstyle in recent times, with the centre-back having already collected nine yellow cards in 14 Premier League games this season.

No other Spurs player has been booked more than four times, while only three defenders across the division to have played at least 270 minutes in the league have averaged more yellow cards per 90 (0.68).

Frank is under serious pressure, and he must improve results if he is to avoid being dismissed, but the mistakes of defenders such as Romero have not helped the Danish head coach.

Should Tottenham sell Romero in January?

When Romero is at his best, he is able to marshal the backline and prevent dangerous attacks from developing by winning the ball back early.

The 27-year-old has failed to consistently demonstrate his ability this season, and he was also poor for large stretches in 2024-25 under Ange Postecoglou.

It should be noted that Romero has frequently picked up injuries, with the Argentine having only once started more than 26 Premier League games in the last four full campaigns.

Given fellow centre-back Micky van de Ven has also often been on the treatment table, it may be better for Spurs to consider a sale of one of their centre-backs, especially if they can find a more reliable defender in the transfer market.