Things have gone from bad to worse for Tottenham following their embarrassing 4-1 defeat away to Leicester as Spurs have now lost one of their star players to a long-term injury.
That man is none other than Rodrigo Bentancur, regarded by many as Antonio Conte's best midfielder. The Uruguayan ace, who has had his fair share of injuries this season already, will now be out for the rest of the season in what is a huge blow to the North London giants' top-four ambitions.
The former Juventus ace was forced off in Saturday's King Power Stadium defeat in the 65th minute after opening the scoring. While the 25-year-old managed to walk off the pitch on his own, the player was visibly distraught, thus hinting towards a serious injury.
Tottenham have now confirmed that the midfielder ruptured ACL ligaments in his left knee and will play no further role in the 2022/23 campaign. The midfielder will sadly have to undergo surgery and will begin his rehabilitation soon.
We can confirm that Rodrigo Bentancur has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will be out of action for the remainder of the campaign.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 13, 2023
He will undergo surgery before beginning his rehabilitation with our medical staff.
We're all behind you, Rodrigo pic.twitter.com/Jfk6oUScHm
Some speculate a six-month layoff for the South American, thus pointing to a return in August, which means he might be back in time for the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season on August 12.
However, this is still a concerning update for the North London giants in their battle to finish in the top four this season. That weekend defeat leaves them in fifth with 39 points, only four ahead of sixth-placed Brighton despite having played two more games while Newcastle are two ahead in fourth.
Additionally, this has brought a selection headache upon Antonio Conte ahead of his side's UEFA Champions League round of 16 showdown with AC Milan. Spurs travel to San Siro on Tuesday for the 1st leg but will be without three of their best midfielders.
Not only is Bentancur unavailable but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is suspended as well, while Yves Bissouma underwent surgery for a stress fracture to his left ankle and could be out for around two months.
Additionally, club captain Hugo Lloris will be out for up to eight weeks after suffering a knee injury in the 1-0 win over Manchester City, with Fraser Forster, his deputy, failing to impress once again over the weekend.
