Rodrigo Bentancur was forced off with an injury in the second half of Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth.
Tottenham Hotspur fans have started turning on Thomas Frank after an awful first seven months in charge of the club.
The Lilywhites’ last-gasp defeat to Bournemouth on the south coast in midweek certainly did not help matters, leaving them 14th in the Premier League table. It was already their eighth defeat of the Premier League campaign, and the full-time whistle at the Vitality Stadium saw scenes of a few Tottenham players getting entangled with the travelling supporters.
Last weekend, Spurs suffered a big blow when Mohammed Kudus limped off in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland at home. Extensive scans revealed the thigh injury Kudus suffered is more serious than first feared, ruling him out for the foreseeable future. And just days later, Thomas Frank has been dealt another injury setback.
Thomas Frank confirms Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a hamstring injury against Bournemouth
Rodrigo Bentancur was substituted towards the latter stages of the 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Wednesday. The 28-year-old was seen sitting on the pitch holding the back of his thigh, before the physios rushed in. It was clear he was unable to continue and was replaced by Archie Gray.
Now, Thomas Frank has shed light on Rodrigo Bentancur’s injury, and the update is looking grim. He has suggested that the midfielder is unlikely to be involved this weekend as he is nursing a “bigger” hamstring problem.
“Rodri has a hamstring injury, looks like a bigger one. We don’t know the extent yet,” Frank was quoted by Football London.
Big setback for Tottenham!
Bentancur’s injury comes at the worst possible time for Tottenham, who are already light in numbers in the middle of the park. Both Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are at the AFCON, although one of them will return early as Senegal takes on Mali in the quarter-finals on Friday evening. This currently leaves Frank with Joao Palhinha and Archie Gray as the only fit midfield options, as Lucas Bergvall also seemingly suffered a muscle problem in the defeat at Bournemouth.
Bentancur has been a mainstay in the Dane’s first XI, starting 17 of 20 Premier League games. He has made 28 appearances in all competitions this season, registering a goal and an assist apiece. The Uruguayan international initially built a steady partnership with Palhinha, before Frank decided to break it in search of creativity from deep.
This led to the entry of Gray in the side in December, and the youngster has quickly developed an understanding with Bentancur. However, Bentancur has now suffered a hamstring problem, which will keep him sidelined for weeks, perhaps months, as Frank deems it a “bigger one”. It is a massive setback for Frank and Spurs, just a few days after Kudus suffered a quad issue.
If the South American is ruled out for long, our gaffer must demand the hierarchy to sign a central midfielder before the winter transfer window slams shut.