It's hard not to watch Cristian Romero at this World Cup without a sense of poignancy and regret.
The defender's stock in north London was at an all-time high a year ago, but now we're watching him on the biggest stage with a feeling of indifference. That's because Romero is set to move on after the tournament.
His year as captain was a disaster, laden with suspensions. A knee injury suffered in April ended his season prematurely, and also thrust his World Cup into doubt—hence his emotion as he trudged off the Stadium of Light turf.
Conveniently, Romero recovered in time for the start of the tournament, appearing in Argentina's warm-up matches earlier this month. Spurs' captain had come close to completely tarnishing his legacy when reports of his final-day absence emerged in the build-up to the crunch clash with Everton, but Romero did indeed show support in N17 as Roberto De Zerbi's men secured safety.
His future will be resolved once Argentina's campaign in North America comes to an end, and any lingering knee issue will only further damage his already-dwindling market.
Cristian Romero's knee injury forces early substitution vs. Austria
Romero started Argentina's opening two group stage games against Algeria and Austria, watching on while a 39-year-old Lionel Messi continues to dazzle.
However, the defender's second outing on Monday was brought to a halt at the start of the second half. Romero was substituted 57 minutes in, having seemingly suffered another niggle to his injured knee.
Lionel Scaloni took no chances, and Argentina's manager said he hopes Romero's fresh complaint is "nothing serious".
He was subsequently reassured by the man himself, who said post-match (via Fabrizio Romano): “I knew this could happen to me. I had a little issue there, I felt it again, but in three or four days I’ll be fine again, so that’s that.
“It’s nothing serious. Keep the head up and I'll come back stronger than before," Romero added.
Algeria's victory over Jordan means Argentina have won Group J with a game to spare. Romero almost certainly won't play on Matchday 3, with reports post-match suggesting the defender will be fine for the start of the knockout stages. Still, his knee could emerge as an important sub-plot for this Messi-inspired Albiceleste as the tournament progresses.
Romero is a pivotal figure in Scaloni's side, and if Spurs are to part ways this summer, they'll want to have the 28-year-old in the shop window for as long as possible.
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