Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur Sidelined by Matty Cash Tackle in First Start in Nine Months

Rodrigo Bentancur was forced off the field after a mistimed tackle from Aston Villa’s Matty Cash, adding to Tottenham’s growing list of injury concerns.

The Uruguayan, who had sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage in February, was making his first start for Tottenham in nine months before having to leave the field after just 30 minutes.

Cash’s sliding challenge caught Bentancur on the ankle, presenting a new challenge for Tottenham in the midst of their ongoing injury crisis.

While the challenge was unnecessary, there was initially no indication of the severity of the damage caused to Bentancur, and it did not result in more than a yellow card.

Prior to the match against Aston Villa, Tottenham was already without at least nine first-team players, with Bentancur’s injury adding to their woes.

Bentancur had made his first competitive start in nine months for Uruguay against Bolivia on Tuesday, but it may have been too much for the midfielder to play two matches within a week.

Last season, Bentancur was one of the best players before his injury, but when he left the field, he was replaced by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Yves Bissouma was also suspended for the Villa clash after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season at Wolves, and manager Ange Postecoglou had been hoping Bentancur could fill the gap.

Tottenham is already without James Maddison and Micky van de Ven until the new year, with Christian Romero serving a suspension. Pape Matar Sarr was not fit enough to be included in the matchday squad, while Ashley Phillips is also out for a month with an injury.