Cristian Romero back in London as Tottenham brace for Everton

Cristian Romero was reported back in London on Sunday morning, after a week of confusion over whether he would stay in Argentina for Belgrano's final. For Tottenham, that turns a survival decider against Everton into something bigger than a routine last-day match. Spurs need to beat Everton on Sunday to be sure of Premier League survival, although one point would likely also be enough because of their superior goal difference over West Ham.

What was said about Romero's whereabouts

Belgrano president Luis Artime had said Romero would watch the Argentine Championship final between Belgrano and River Plate next to him. Then Gaston Edul reported in the early hours on Sunday that Romero was already in London. Romero also posted an Instagram story showing him getting a haircut at a London barbers, which prompted speculation that it might have been an old image from May 6.

Ciro Palermo, Romero's agent, pushed back hard. He said: "It is a completely fabricated narrative being circulated by people who are unaware of the facts and have no knowledge of the rehabilitation plan that has been in place for weeks. Cristian's focus is, and has always been, on recovering as strongly as possible, preparing for the World Cup, and supporting Tottenham Hotspur in every way he can. His commitment to the club, his teammates and the supporters has been evident throughout his time at Tottenham and remains unchanged."

The row matters because Romero is not some peripheral figure in this squad. He has made 23 Premier League appearances this season and carries a 7.13 average rating in the league, while his Champions League rating is 7.11. When he is available, he has been one of Tottenham's key defenders, so the noise around his whereabouts lands badly in a week like this.

Why the Everton game carries so much weight

Roberto De Zerbi did not pretend the reaction was minor. He said: "100 per cent I understand [the fan anger] ... I have not time to lose energy, we have to be focused just on the game".

That is probably the right posture. Tottenham sit 17th on 38 points from 36 league matches, and their goal difference is -9. Everton are 12th with 49 points, so the pressure is entirely on Tottenham. Romero's return to London does not resolve every awkward question around the story, but it does remove the one thing supporters least wanted to hear before a survival decider: that their captain might be absent for it.

If Spurs get the result they need, the argument over how this week played out will keep going. If they do not, the focus on Romero's whereabouts will only get louder.