Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur carried off on stretcher after receiving oxygen on pitch
The Uruguayan appeared to hit his head on the turf as he stooped to head a corner in the opening exchanges of the Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool on Wednesday.
Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur needed oxygen and had to be taken off on a stretcher in the opening moments of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool after taking an awkward fall.
The Uruguayan midfielder strained to meet a corner from the right hand side in the seventh minute, but as he dropped to the ground after failing to meet the ball he lay prone on the turf.
Pedro Porro was the first Tottenham player on the scene, before players from both sides were quick to alert medics to Bentancur’s condition, and the match was quickly stopped to allow him to receive treatment. The midfielder was given oxygen by medics as he lay on the ground.
After a long delay of around nine minutes he was taken off on a stretcher to applause from all corners of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and replaced by Brennan Johnson.
The match ended up with 11 minutes of stoppage time in the first half, with Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah also pulling up with an injury and being replaced by Wataru Endo.
Players from both sides surrounded Bentancur
At the time he was replaced Tottenham said on their X account: "We’re all with you, Lolo", before at half-time they added: "We can confirm Rodrigo is conscious, talking and will go to hospital for further checks."
Spurs midfielder Michael Brown, who is working as a co-commentator on the match for BBC Radio Five Live, said at the time of the incident: "I think those players pretty much know what it is [Bentancur’s injury] but then also you’ve got to try and focus because the game is about to start.
"Things can change very quickly which is when the management team have got to be on point, looking to see what details. Liverpool all around the six-yard area, just waiting but this is a long hold. A huge concern."
Bentancur was only playing in his third domestic match since returning from a seven-game ban for discriminatory comments against South Korean people used in an interview when talking about his team-mate Son Heung-min in the summer.
After scoring in a home 2-1 defeat to Ipswich on November 10, Bentancur only played in two Europa League matches against Roma and Rangers until his return from the domestic ban in the surprise 1-0 defeat to high-flying Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.
The incident is the second time Bentancur has been taken off with a concerning injury this season, having clashed heads with Leicester’s Abdul Fatawu in Spurs’ opening Premier League game of the campaign in August.
