Argentina have appealed his suspension
Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero has been called up to the Argentina squad – despite being suspended for the next two matches.
As reported by The Athletic, the 23-year-old flew out with Lionel Scaloni’s squad ahead of Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Venezuela.
However, the defender – who was not named in the original squad last week – is suspended after receiving a two-game ban for the abandoned World Cup qualifier against Brazil in September.
Romero, along with Giovani Lo Celso, Emi Buendía and Emiliano Martínez, were all suspended after breaching Fifa’s covid protocols.
While Argentina are still waiting on an appeal to reduce Romero’s suspension to just one game, he will definitely be out for the clash against Venezuela.
Should Argentina be successful with their appeal, the Spurs man would be eligible to face Ecuador on Wednesday.
The centre-back suffered a lengthy injury while on international duty in November, which led to him spending nearly three months on the sidelines.
Argentina have already secured their place at the Qatar World Cup – sitting in second-place behind Brazil.
Romero has made 24 appearances for Antonio Conte’s side this season since making the loan move from Atalanta last summer.
Conte recently revealed that the London outfit have made the Argentine’s move permanent for around £42.5million, with the defender set to agree a five-year deal this summer.
He said last in February: “He’s on loan but we have an obligation to buy. We bought him.
“He is perfect for this league. For sure Romero is able to play here, it’s a perfect suit for him.”
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- Argentina criticise Chile for hotel treatment ahead of World Cup qualifier
