Cuti Romero steps up recovery, Argentina upbeat for the World Cup | OneFootball

Exactly one month has passed since that medical report confirmed Cristian Romero’s lateral ligament injury in his right leg and put the entire Argentina national team on alert. Cuti’s inconsolable tears, after colliding head-on with his own goalkeeper Antonín Kinský against Sunderland, seemed to foreshadow the worst on the eve of the 2026 World Cup. But there was no time for anguish: he quickly wiped away his tears and began a race against the clock in his recovery that is now reassuring Lionel Scaloni.

During the first stage of the process, estimated at between six and eight weeks under normal conditions, the defender remained in a brace to immobilize the area, reduce the impact, and bring down the inflammation in the joint. All of it under the constant supervision of the Albiceleste medical staff, who even sent physiotherapist Luis García to London to closely monitor every step of his progress.

As the weeks went by, the pain began to subside. And with it, hope also grew. Driven by Tottenham’s upturn in form (they moved out of the relegation zone and sit two points above West Ham) and, above all, by the approaching title defense in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Romero stepped up his efforts.

Today, the outlook is noticeably more encouraging. No longer wearing a brace, he appears focused, meticulous, and committed to following every rehabilitation routine to the letter. That was clear in a recent post on his Instagram account: arms crossed, standing firmly on a training box, with the determination of someone who knows the clock is ticking, but also that the goal is within reach.

In Cuti’s mind, there is no scenario other than being present for the opening match on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas. He is also aiming to be ready in time for the warm-up friendlies: on the 6th against Honduras in Texas, and on the 9th against Iceland in Alabama, matches that could help him regain competitive rhythm before the real action begins. Meanwhile, in Ezeiza, optimism is growing. And Scaloni is keeping his fingers crossed.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.