Last week, Tottenham Hotspur’s key midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur picked up an injury early on in the first half in Uruguay’s final World Cup Group H match against Ghana, which they eventually won 2-0, but ultimately, missed out on qualification to the last 16 by one goal to Son Heung-Min’s South Korea.
Courtesy of Football.London, news has emerged this week that Bentancur has indeed torn his abductor, meaning that we can expect the Uruguyuan to be out for three to four weeks.
This timeframe for recovery makes Bentancur a doubt for Tottenham’s home game against Unai Emery’s resurgent Aston Villa on New Year’s Day, and it is hoped that the current international hiatus will give the 25-year-old Uruguyuan ample time to recover in time for Spurs’ first home game of 2023.
It is worth noting that Bentancur will be suspended for Spurs’ first Premier League game back against Brentford on Boxing Day after he picked up his fifth Premiership yellow card of the season in the Lilywhites’ last Premier League outing in early November against Leeds, a match which the Uruguyuan won for Spurs in dramatic circumstances with a late, quickfire brace.
Let’s hope Bentancur is not out for too long, as Spurs have not fared too well in his absence – we’ve won a solitary league game since Bentancur signed where we’ve done without him and Hojbjerg in midfield for more than 45 minutes (Leeds away last season), failing to win the other five (Saints, Wolves and Burnley last season, West Ham and Newcastle this season). The sooner he returns, the better!