Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield has been dealt a major blow as Uruguayan international Rodrigo Bentancur has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The injury occurred during Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Leicester. Yves Bissouma is already sidelined with an ankle injury and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is serving a one-match suspension, leaving Spurs with the inexperienced duo of Pape Matar Sarr and Oliver Skipp at the center of the pitch.
Antonio Conte, Spurs’ manager, said: ‘We have the solution in our house with the two young players. They are [in their] first game in the Champions League. They are really young, 20 and 22 years old, but we have to be good to help them overcome the emotion. We must trust them.’
Tottenham made a statement yesterday regarding Bentancur’s injury, saying: ‘The midfielder will undergo surgery before beginning his rehabilitation with our medical staff.’
The injury woes don’t end there for Tottenham. Hugo Lloris is out for at least six weeks with a knee injury, and even Conte himself has only just returned from having gallbladder surgery in Italy, saying: ‘I’m still not 100% but it’s important to be with the players.’
This unfortunate series of events could prove to be a major setback for Spurs as they resume their Champions League campaign in Milan tonight.
