28 November 2023 , 19:30
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Luckless Rodrigo Bentancur is set to be sidelined until February after tearing a ligament in his ankle during Tottenham's 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Uruguay midfielder was making his first start for Spurs since rupturing his Anterior Cruciate Ligament in his left knee back in February, but he was forced off following a tackle from Villa's Matty Cash.
A scan on Tuesday revealed the extent of the damage, with the injury coming as another major blow for Ange Postecoglou, who is overseeing a growing crisis at Tottenham with nine first-team players currently unavailable. James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Ivan Perisic, Richarlison and Manor Soloman are among those out until at least the New Year, with defender Cristian Romero also currently suspended.
Spurs having lost their last three games to dent any early Premier League title ambitions, with Postecoglou's side slipping from first in the table to fifth.
Speaking after the defeat against Villa, Postecoglou was critical of the challenge from Cash.
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The Australian said: "It is his ankle I think. It wasn't a great tackle. I thought he started the game so well and I think it was the reason we got a real good foothold on the game. He's such a creative player. It's the last thing we needed, another injury. So disappointed to lose him but we’re yet to see the extent of it."
As for Bentancur, he joined Tottenham from Juventus in January 2022 and hit the ground running under Antonio Conte, helping the club qualify for the Champions League. He continued to impress and made 26 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring six goals before sustaining a serious knee problem in a 4-1 defeat at Leicester on February 11, which forced him to have surgery.
Rodrigo Bentancur is set to be out for around 10 weeks with an ankle injury (Getty Images)He was ruled out for the remainder of the 2022/23 season and didn't return again until late October, where he came on as a late substitute in the 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace. After that game, Bentancur received a jubilant reception from the Spurs faithful as he went over to applaud them.
In the following matches against Chelsea and Wolves, Bentancur was introduced in the 61st and 63rd minute respectively as Postecoglou tried to build up his match fitness. He started once and came off the bench in another for Argentina during the international break, before being chucked straight into the XI for Tottenham's Premier League clash with Villa on Sunday.
The ex-Boca Juniors midfielder shone during the opening stages as Tottenham flew into the lead thanks to Giovani Lo Celso's strike, but Bentancur's afternoon came to an abrupt end after he went crashing to the floor following Cash's late challenge. The Villa right-back was handed a yellow card for his troubles.
Villa then turned the game on its head thanks to goals either side of the break from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins, condemning Spurs to a third defeat in a row. It leaves Postecoglou's side outside of the Champions League places ahead of this weekend's daunting-looking trip to Manchester City.